J° 


,  X 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Blanche  meets  her  Father. 

HASTE  TO  BE  Eicn.) 


MAKING  HASTE  TO  BE  RICH; 


oa, 


Cempfation  raft  Jail. 


BY  T.  S.  ARTHUR, 

AUTHOR  OF   "  KEEPING  tTP   APPEARANCES,"    "  RICIIF8  HAVE 
WINGS,"    "  RISING  IN  TIIB  WORLD,"   ETO..  BTO. 


"  He  that  niaketh  haste  to  be  rich,  shall  not  be  innocent.'1 
PROV.  xxviii.  20. 


NEW    EDITION. 


NEW  YORK 
COLLINS    &    BROTHER, 


106  LEON  A  H  D   STR  E  ET. 


TALES  FOR  THE  RICH  AND  POOR. 

BT  T.  S.  ARTHUR. 
Six  VOLUMES  16mo,  ILLUSTRATED. 


KEEPING    UP  APPEARANCES. 
RICHES  HA  YE  WINGS. 
KISING    INTI1E  WORLD. 
MAILING  HASTE  TO  BE  Rl^ff. 
J>K#/UR  AND 
RK1IRIXG  FROM 


COI.LI15S  &  BROTHER.  Publishers. 
>i4  J^OSAKB-STBEKT,  KE\?  YOEK. 


EntereU,liccording  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1847,  by  BAKKR 

t  SCRIBXER,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court 

for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


CONTENDS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MLANS  FOR  THE  PUTaRE ,      ,         5 

CHAPTER  II. 

DIFFERENT  VIEWS  AND  ACTS 17 

CHAPTER  IIL 

K1RST  DEPARTURE  FROM  RIOHT 23 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CRCEI.  PERFIDY ...30 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  TWO  tCEWES ; .36 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  FAIR  FIELD  FOR  ENTERPH1SB .      49 

CHAPTER  VIL 

HOW  THINGS  ARE  SOMETIMES  DONE 61 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

IJWURY  TO  AN  OLD  FRIEND     .......  .77 

CHAPTER  IK. 

NE'V  AND  BOLDER  SCHEMES ,  .65 


1* 

1213328 


IV  CONTENTS. 

PA03 

CHAPTER  X. 

A  FINANCIERING  OPERATION  ......  .      .      99 

CHAPTER  XJ. 

THE  TEMPTATION  AND  F^LL 113 

CHAPTER  XIL 

CHIME  DISCOVERED .      .      ,       .    11J4 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONSEQUENCES 13ti 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  FINAL  CATASTROPHE 143 

CHAPTER  XV. 

SADDER  EVENTS 150 

CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  PRISONER  7SKE .   153 

CHAPTER  XVII 

CONCLUSION t      .    Ife 


MAKING  HASTE  TO  BE   RICH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PLANS    FOR    THE    FUTURE. 

Two  young  men,  named  Franklin  Riddell  and 
Morris  Jordan,  had  spent  an  evening  with 
some  lady  acquaintances.  As  the  air  was 
mild,  and  a  bright  moon  shone  in  the  sky,  they 
walked  the  streets  for  an  hour  before  returning 
home,  in  earnest  conversation  about  the  present 
and  the  future. 

"  The  more  I  see  of  Anne  Bradford,  the 
more  am  I  charmed  inth  her,"  remarked  Rid 
dell.  "  She  has  good  sense,  taste,  firmness, 
and  an  even  temper  ;  qualities  so  desirable  in  a 
companion  for  life." 

"  And  deep  feeling  united  to  all,"  said  Jor 
dan. 

"  Yes,  she  is  a  girl  of  deep  feeling.  Too 
deep,  perhaps,  for  her  own  happiness.  If  sho 
has  any  defect  of  character,  it  lies  here," 


ft  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICE. 

"  I  should  hardly  call  that  a  defect." 

*'  Not  too  great  sensitiveness  ?" 

"  Too  great  .sensitiveness  is  a  defect  cer 
tainly.  But  I  do  not  think  this  may  fairly  be 
charged  upon  Anne  as  a  fault." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  though  it  rather  strikes  mo 
that  she  feels  too  quickly  and  too  deeply.  But, 
be  this  as  it  may,  she  is  a  lovely  girl,  and,  as  I 
have  just  said,  the  more  I  see  of  her,  the  more 
am  I  charmed  with  her  beauty,  intelligence, 
and  grace.  If  I  were  to  look  the  city  through, 
I  do  not  believe  I  could  find  one  more  fitted  to 
make  me  happy.  In  a  word,  Morris,  I  have 
determined,  if  she  do  not  object,  to  make  her, 
at  some  future  day,  my  wife.  How  do  you  ap 
prove  my  decision  ?" 

"  I  approve  it  fully,"  was  replied.  "  And, 
as  you  have  been  so  frank  on  this  subject,  I  wil! 
be  equally  so.  For  Anne's  sister,  Maria,  I 
have  long  felt  a  most  earnest  regard  ;  and  this 
regard,  it  is  plain  to  me,  is  reciprocated.  I 
shall  no  longer  delay  a  declaration  of  my  sen 
timents  and  feelings.  At  the  earliest  suitable 
opportunity,  I  will  open  to  the  sweet  girl  all 
that  is  in  my  heart." 

"  And  may  the  result  be  as  your  heart  de 
sires,"  returned  Riddell.  "  1  doubt  not  it  will 
be  so.  Most  sincerely  do  I  congratulate  you 


PLANS    FOR    THE    FUTURE.  7 

on  the  prospect  of  a  union  with  one  who  is  in 
every  way  so  worthy  of  your  best  affections.  If 
we  both  find  favor  in  the  eyes  of  these  lovely 
sisters,  we  shall  in  the  end  be  still  more  closely 
united  than  we  are  now." 

"  To  me  a  pleasant  thought,"  said  Jordan. 

"  And  equally  so  to  me,"  responded  his 
friend.  "  But,"  he  added  in  a  more  serious 
tone,  "  I'm  afraid  it  will  be  some  time  before 
we  shall  realize  a  happy  consummation  of  our 
present  desires." 

"  Why  so  ?"  asked  Jordan. 

"  We  are  neither  of  us  in  a  situation  to 
marry,  and  may  not  be  for  four  or  five  years  to 
come." 

"  You  get  a  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  my 
salary  is  eight  hundred.  I  think  we  might 
venture  to  commit  matrimony  on  this  basis." 

"  Never.  If  you  marry  as  a  clerk,  the 
chances  are,  ten  to  one,  that  you  remain  a 
clerk  to  the  end  of  your  days  ;  and  this  would 
not  suit  me.  First,  I  mean  to  get  well  started 
in  business  for  myself,  and  then  take  a  wifo — 
not  before." 

"  Business,  and  the  results  of  business,  are, 
then,  first  in  your  mind  and  maniage  second 
ary  ?" 


0  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RTCB. 

"  That  is  your  inference,  not  my  declaiation^ 
Jordan." 

"  But  is  not  that  conclusion  involved  ?" 

"  I  do  not  see  that  it  is.  No  man  ought  to 
marry  until  he  is  able  to  support  a  wife  hand 
somely." 

"  If  all  waited  for  that,  there  would  be  fewflT 
marriages  than  there  air.  " 

"  I  know.  But  look  at  the  result  of  an  op 
posite  course.  Men's  faces  to  the  grindstone, 
and  women  slaves  for  life.  The  woman  I  marry, 
Jordan,  shall  live  like  a  lady." 

"  And  the  woman  I  marry,"  replied  his 
friend,  "  shall  have  every  comfort  in  my  power 
to  give  her,  and  no  more.  She  must  be  will 
ing  to  share  my  lot,  be  it  high  or  humble,  or  1 
will  not  take  her  for  my  wife.  As  to  waiting 
until  I  go  into  business  before  marrying,  that 
will  depend  on  the  prospect  there  is  of  starting 
in  the  world  soon.  On  my  present  salary,  I 
can,  with  economy,  support  a  wife  comfortably. 
That  fact  is  sufficient  reason  to  me  for  taking  a 
companion,  if  I  meet  with  the  one  I  like  ;  and 

1  think  I  have  met  with  that  one.     All  that 
remains  is  to  get  the  maiden's  consent.     That 
obtained,  and  I  think  no  very  long  time  will 
pass  before  I  am  a  married  man," 

"  Marry  in  haste  and  repent  at  leisurs.     So 


PLANS    FOR    THE    FL1URE.  !4 

it  has  been  from  the  beginning,  and  so  it  will 
be,  I  suppose,  to  the  end.  But  I  am  not  to  be 
betrayed  into  any  weakness  of  this  kind.  I  am 
not  going  to  mar  all  my  future  prospects  by  a 
hurried  assumption  of  the  married  man's  res 
ponsibilities.  No,  not  I.  I  want  to  get  a  fair 
start  first.  Then  I  will  make  my  own  fortune, 
and  no  thanks  to  any  body.  I  have  ability, 
enterprise,  ambition  ;  and  I  am  satisfied  to  rest 
my  hopes  with  them.  All  I  want  is  to  get 
fairly  in  the  current ;  let  it  run  as  swiftly  as  it 
may,  I  will  trust  to  my  own  skill  in  guiding  my 
vessel  safely." 

"  How  soon  do  you  think  of  commencing 
business  ?"  asked  Jordan. 

"  As  soon  as  I  can  see  my  way  clear  to  do 
so.  I  have  a  couple  of  thousand  dollars  laid 
by.  But  I  can't  start  on  that." 

"  Why  not  ?  You  might  open  in  a  small 
way." 

"  No  small  way  for  me,  friend  Jordan.  I  am 
of  too  ardent  a  temperament.  It  will  be  im 
possible  for  me  ever  to  ris-e  by  the  slow  and 
sure  way.  Enterprise — enterprise  !  That  is 
the  word.  Fortunes  are  to  be  made  in  a  day, 
so  to  speak,  by  those  who  have  the  required 
enterprise." 


1C  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    KICH. 

*•  There  is  great  risk  attendant  upon  the 
course  you  propose." 

"  Nothing  venture,  nothing  gain,  you  know. 
But  I'll  look  out  for  that.  I'll  take  care  of 
number  one,  you  may  depend  upon  it." 

"  How  much  money  do  you  expect  to  accu 
mulate,  before  you  venture  upon  the  sea  of 
trade  in  your  own  barque  ?"  asked  Jordan. 

Riddell  shook  his  head. 

"  I  don't  expect  to  get  a  capital  by  saving  it 
from  my  paltry  salary.  It  would  take  me 
twenty  years." 

"  How,  then,  will  you  obtain  it  r" 

"  There  are  plenty  of  rich  men,  with  sons 
too  indolent  to  acquire  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  business.  These  rich  fathers  must  give  their 
sons  a  start  in  the  world,  but  are  generally 
afraid  to  trust  them  in  business  by  themselves. 
Young  men  thoroughly  educated  in  a  commer 
cial  house,  are  picked  out  as  partners,  and 
capital  set  against  their  capacity.  Do  you  un 
derstand  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes  !  very  well.'' 

"  Then  you  have  the  idea  " 

"  But,  suppose  no  rich  father  happen  to  se 
lect  you  as  the  partner  of  Ids  son.  What 
thon  ?» 


PLANS    FOK    THE    FUTURE.  il 

Riddell  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  then  re 
plied — 

"  I  think  I  can  manage  that.  There  are  two 
or  three  old  codgers  in  our  business,  with  whom 
I  come  pretty  frequently  in  contact.  They  all 
have  sons  in  their  stores,  learning  to  be  mer 
chants  I  take  good  care,  whenever  I  have 
any  business  to  transact  with  these  observing 
old  gentlemen,  to  appear  very  shrewd,  prompt, 
and  intelligent.  One  of  them  has  his  eyes  on 
me,  I  know,  from  the  manner  in  which  he  asks 
questions  when  we  meet.  His  son,  two  or 
three  years  younger  than  I  am,  is  just  the  kind 
of  a  man  1  should  like  for  a  partner.  Fond  of 
pleasure,  ignorant  of  business,  and  indifferent 
about  his  own  interests." 

"  A  poor  sort  of  a  man  for  a  partner,  I 
should  say,"  remarked  Jordan. 

"  The  very  man  for  me.  All  I  want  with  a 
partner  is  capital ;  and  I'd  much  rather  he 
would  reside  in  the  moon,  than  anywhere  near 
me.  The  young  man  of  whom  I  speak  would 
be  a  mere  cypher;  and,  therefore,  I  could  push 
everything  according  to  my  own  notions.  Do 
you  take  the  idea  ?" 

"  Perfectly." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it  ?     Won't 

it  do?" 

2 


12  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE   RICH 

"It  may  do  for  you,  Riddell;  though  1 
douht  if  the  final  result  be  as  good  as  if,  like 
a  little  boat,  you  were  content  to  keep  near  the 
shore  at  first,  and  venture  farther  out  to  sea 
when  your  experience  became  larger,  and  your 
knowledge  of  mercantile  affairs  more  exten 
sive." 

"  As  to  that,  friend  Jordan,  I  flatter  myself 
that  I  understand  the  operations  of  trade  pretty 
thoroughly ;  much  more  so,  in  fact,  than  dozen? 
of  very  thrifty  merchants,  who  have  accumu 
lated  fortunes.     If  I  had  the  means  and  facili 
ties  that  some  houses  I  could  point  to  possess, 
I  would  make  two  dollars  to  their  one.     The 
fact  is,  one  half  of  our  business  men  are  asleep." 

"  It  may  be  better  to  sleep  in  safety,  than 
tempt  destruction  by  rushing  forward  with 
railroad  velocity,"  suggested  Morris  Jordan. 

"  Let  them  sleep  who  will,"  replied  Riddell. 
"  I  belong  to  the  wide-awake,  go-ahead  portion 
of  the  community.  In  ten  years  from  now, 
you  will  see  me  over  the  heads  of  dozens  of  the 
sleepy  tribe,  who  now  grope  along  in  the  paths 
of  trade,  actually  in  the  way  of  better  and  more 
enterprising  men." 

"  You'll  mount  far  enough  over  my  head,  no 
doubt,"  said  his  companion. 

"  Not  if  you  will  act  upon  my  advice,  and 


PLANS    FOR    THE    FUTURE  I-' 

follow  my  example.     You  have  plenty  uf  the 
right  kind  of  stuff  in  you,  Morris — plenty." 

"  1  think  I  will  h  aid  by  the  good  old  motto 
— '  slow  and  sure.'  It  will  give  me  competence 
and  contentment,"  said  Jordan.  "  I  have  no 
wish  to  feel  the  eager,  all-absorbing  desire  for 
great  wealth  that  is  such  a  passion  with  you. 
It  is  not  good,  depend  upon  it,  this  making 
haste  to  be  rich.  There  is  a  saying  of  old 
king  Solomon's,  that  always  forces  itself  upon 
my  mind,  when  I  see  men  pressing  eagerly  for 
ward  in  the  race  for  gold.  '  He  that  maketh 
haste  to  be  rich  shall  not  be  innocent.' ' 

"  And  do  you  believe  it,  Jordan  ?" 

"  I  certainly  do." 

"  That  is,  you  believe  a  man  of  great  busi- 
ne'ss  enterprise  cannot  be  an  honest  man  ?" 

"  I  did  not  say  so.  A  man  may  have  the 
enterprise  you  speak  of,  and  yet  be  a  man  of 
the  strictest  integrity.  All  that  I  mean  when 
I  say  that  I  believe  in  the  proverb,  is,  that  a 
man  who  makes  haste  to  be  rich,  will  be  so 
tempted  at  every  step  to  overreach  his  neigh 
bor,  as  to  bo  in  great  danger  of  falling  away 
from  strict  integrity,  even  while  he  does  not 
dream  that,  in  securing  his  own  interests,  he  is 
doing  so  at  the  oof-'t  of  wrotr?  to  his  neighbor 
The  lo\e  of  nvmoy,  for  its  own  sn.lco  is  sure  tr 


1-1     .  MAKING    HAS'lE    TO    BE    RICH. 

blind  us  to  the  rights  of  others.  And  I  be 
lieve  no  man  makes  haste  to  bo  rich,  who  does 
not  so  love  money." 

"  I  am  sure  that  I  do  not  love  money  for  its 
own  sake,"  said  Riddell. 

"  1  hope  you  do  not,  Franklin  Riddell. 
But  it  is  a  truth,  that  the  real  affection  of  our 
ininds  is  uot  always  apparent  to  our  thoughts. 
It  will  certainly  influence  our  actions,  how 
ever,  and  lead  us  into  just  the  error  that  cor 
responds  with  the  false  principle  concealed  in 
the  hidden  motive." 

"  You  are  too  much  of  a  philosopher  for  me, 
Morris.  I  can't  stop  to  inquire  so  profoundly 
in  regard  to  motives,  when  I  see  so  much  be 
fore  me  to  do.  Action  is  the  great  principle  of 
my  life.  The  fact  is,  my  friend,  you  think  too 
much — deal  too  much  in  mental  abstractions- - 
are  luo  nice  on  the  score  of  motives.  You 
must  come  out  of  this,  or  you  will  be  left  far 
behind  in  the  race.  You  have  ability  enough, 
energy  enough.  Come,  my  friend !  Wake 
up  !  Look  around  you  for  golden  opportuni 
ties  as  I  am  doing,  and  seize  upon  the  first  that 
offers.  I  do  not  want,  as  1  rise,  to  look  back 
upon  you  grovelling  in  the  plain  below,  with 
the  great,  unambitious  horde." 

"  Don't  feel  any  concern  for  me,  Frank,' 


PLANS    FOR    THE    FUTUIIK  .   15 

replied  Jordan,  calmly.  "  Without  doubt,  I 
shall  pass  safely  enough  though  the  world 
You  take  your  course,  and  I  will  take  mine 
From  small  beginnings  often  come  large  re  • 
tiults.  The  mighty  river  was  at  first  a  trickling 
rill,  and  many  a  mile  it  went  stealing  on  in  its 
unambitious  course,  before  its  waters  were  deep 
nough  to  bear  even  the  smallest  boat  upon 
iheir  surface.  I  would  rather  be  like  thot 
growing  rill,  than  resemble  the  mountain  torr 
rent,  suddenly  rushing  forth  a  rapid  stream." 

"  Each  to  his  taste,  then.  If  you  are  content 
to  plod  along,  and  add,  carefully,  cent  to 
cent  and  dollar  to  dollar,  I  must  not  complain. 
But  that  course  won't  do  for  me.  It  is  unac- 
cordant  with  the  spirit  of  the  age.  There  is 
too  much  go-ahead  in  me  to  make  a  merchant 
of  the  old  school.  Ten,  twenty,  and  even  fifty 
thousand  dollars  have  been  accumulated  in  a 
year  by  men  who  knew  what  they  were  about. 
That's  doing  things  after  my  fancy.  I  frankly 
own  that  I  like  the  sound  of  it.  It  makes  my 
blood  warm  up  at  the  very  thought.  Wait  a 
few  years,  and  I'll  let  you  see  what  I  can  do  in 
that  line.  I  hope  old  Mr.  Alexander  will  make 
up  his  mind  right  speedily  as  to  the  partner 
ship  that  I  am  a  little  ambitious  of  forming 

with  his  son  Henry. 

J 


16  MAKING  HASTE    TO    BB    RICH 

a  Alexander  is  the  man,  then  ?"  said  Jor- 
don. 

"  Yes,  what  .do  you  think  of  him  r"  ir  quired 
Riddell. 

"  I  think,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  "  that  1 
would  rather  remain  a  clerk  all  my  days  than 
have  a  business  connexion  with  Henry  Alex 
ander." 

"  Why  ?"• 

"  1  have  a  most  thorough  contempt  for  him  " 

"  Why  r" 

•  Is  it  necessary  for  you  to  ask  ?  Do  you 
jot  know  him  to  be  a  young  man  with  a  weak 
head  and  a  had  heart  r" 

"  As  to  his  bad  heart,  that  is  a  matter  per 
sonal  to  himself,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  a 
mere  business  connexion.  I  am  not  afraid  ot 
his  exercising  it  upon  me.  The  weak  head  is 
a  merit  rather  than  a  defect.  It  will  leave  the 
management  of  affairs  entirely  in  my  hands." 

'•  Ye  maun  gang  ye'r  ain  gait,  Franklin,  and 
I  will  go  nune,"  said  Morris  Jordan,  pausing  at 
his  own  door.  "  When  the  end  comes,  it  will 
to  seen  who  is  right." 

4  As  to  the  question  of  right,  I  shall  care 
very  little,"  replied  Riddell,  "  if  I  find  myself 
the  fortunate  p  assessor  of  a  few  hundreds  of 


DIFFERENT    VIEWS    AND    ACTS.  17 

thousands,  when  I  begin  to  think  of  retiring 
from  business.     Good  night." 

And  the  young  men   parted,  each  having 
been  in  earnest  in  what  he  had  said. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DIFFERENT  VIEWS  AND  ACTS. 

NOT  a  very  long  time  was  suffered  to  elapse, 
before  the-  two  young  men,  Riddell  and  Jordan, 
made  known  to  Anne  and  Maria  Bradford  that 
they  entertained  for  them  a  warmer  sentiment 
than  friendship.  This  declaration  was  received 
joyfully  by  the  sisters,  for  their  hearts  had  long 
been  more  interested  than  they  had  dared  own, 
even  to  themselves.  » 

Anne  was,  at  this  time,  about  twenty,  and 
two  years  older  than  her  sister.  In  accepting 
the  love  of  Riddell,  she  gave,  in  return,  a  heart 
full  of  confiding  tenderness.  She  believed  him 
to  possess  every  virtue,  and  was  proud  of  the 
frank  manliness  of  his  character,  as  it  appeared 
in  her  eyes.  When  he  spoke,  enthusiastically, 
of  his  future  hopes,  and  firm  resolution  to 
overcome  every  obstacle  that  might  stand  in 


J8  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

the  way  of  his  advancement  to  wealth,  Anne 
listened  to  him  with  a  stronger  feeling  of  adini 
ration  for  the  energy  of  character  such  declara 
tions  displayed,  than  of  pleasure  at  the  thought 
of  sharing  with  him  the  blessings  wealth  would 
bring.  She  saw  no  blemish  in  his  character, 
and  dreamed  not  that  beneath  all,  so  fair  and 
attractive  to  her  eyes,  lay  cold-hearted  selfish 
ness  that  would  trample  upon  even  the  most 
sacred  and  holiest  things  to  gain  its  end.  In 
her  dream  of  love,  all  things  were  bright  an«l 
beautiful.  The  sky  that  bent  so  smilingly  over 
her  future  life  had  in  it  no  cloud. 

Maria  was  younger  ;  and  though  younger, 
had  a  calmer  spirit  than  her  sister,  and  more 
instinctive  penetration  into  character.  She 
was  never  much  drawn  towards  Riddell.  There 
was  something  about  him — what,  she  could  not 
.say — that  threw  over  her  a  feeling  of  con 
straint,  and  made  his  society  disagreeable  rather 
than  pleasant  to  her.  But  towards  Jordan  she 
had,  since  the  day  of  her  first  meeting  with 
him,  a  different  emotion,  and  when  he  spoke  of 
the  tender  regard  for  her  that  lived  in  his  heart 
she  felt  herself  blest  indeed  in  being  loved  by 
one  of  whose  sincerity,  honor,  and  manly  in 
tegrity  she  had  Hot  the  shadow  of  a  doubt. 

Neither  of  tbo  sisters  had  anything  in  pros- 


WFFEKENT    VIEWS    AND    .\CTS.  19 

pcct,  so  far  as  worldly  goods  were  concerned. 
Their  father  was  engaged  in  manufacturing  in  a 
small  way,  and  his  income  was  never  more  than 
sufficient  for  the  wants  of  an  expensive  family. 
He  had  several  children,  and  to  these  he  strove 
to  give  the  very  best  possible  education  it  was 
in  his  power  to  bestow,  rather  than  seek  to  ac 
cumulate  for  them  a  few  dollars  which,  at 
most,  would  divide  but  meagrely  among  so 
many.  Riddell  and  Jordan  were  well  aware  of 
this.  Their  love  for  the  daughters,  therefore, 
had  in  it  nothing  of  sordidness.  With  Jordan, 
it  was  a  pure,  deep,  earnest  love  for  virtue,  in 
the  guise  of  a  lovely  young  woman  ;  with  Rid 
dell,  it  was  a  blind  passion  ;  more  a  love  of  the 
mere  person,  and  a  desire  to  possess  as  his  own 
one  whose  beauty,  grace,  and  sweetness  of  man 
ner,  charmed  all  who  saw  her. 

Very  soon  after  Jordan  had  declared  what 
was  in  his  heart,  he  spoke  of  marriage. 

"  My  salary  is  not  large,"  he  said ;  "  But 
with  economy,  we  may  live  upon  it  comforta 
bly.  When  the  means  of  support  exist,  I  do 
not  believe  it  right  to  wait  longer,  merely  in 
the  hope  of  being  better  off.  With  increased 
wants,  Providence  will  send  increased  supplies. 
As  for  young  married  couples  supporting  a  cer 
tain  style,  1  have  always  believed  that  the  less 


20  MAK.IKO    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

they  thought  about  that  the  better.  No  one 
more  highly  est2ems  them  for  their  fine  houses 
and  showy  furniture  ;  while  they,  for  the  mere 
sake  of  appearances,  are  wasting  the  money 
that  will  be  needed  in  after  life,  and  taking 
upon  themselves  a  world  of  unnecessary  cares 
and  troubles.  These  are  my  thoughts  on  the 
subject,  Maria.  What  are  yours  ?" 

"  We  could  not  think  more  in  unison  than 
we  do,"  returned  the  maiden,  a  brighter  light 
in  her  eyes,  and  a  warmer  glow  upon  her 
cheeks.  "  Life  has  claims  upon  us  for  some 
thing  more  serious  than  mere  idle  show  and 
needless  extravagance ;  and  in  obedience  to 
these  claims,  serious  though  they  be,  there 
ever  conies  a  sweet  reward.  Young  as  I  am, 
I  have  already  learned  this.  If  we  cannot  be 
happy  on  the  income  you  now  have,  we  could 
not  be  if  it  were  increased  twenty  fold.  If  it 
were  even  less  than  it  is,  I  would  not  hesitate 
to  take  my  place  by  your  side,  and  share  your 
lot  in  life.  What  God  has  given  to  you,  is  all 
I  am  to  love,  and  all  I  wish  for." 

For  such  noble  words,  Jordan  thanked  his 
bride-to-be  with  a  tender  salutation ;  and,  in 
his  heart,  thanked  the  Giver  of  all  good  for  the 
blessing  of  such  a  companion  for  his  journey 
through  life. 


DIFFERENT    VIEWS    AND    ACTS.  21 

Different  from  this  was  the  interview  be 
tween  Anne  and  her  lover.  When  it  was  men 
tioned  that  Jordan  and  Maria  were  to  be  mar 
ried  at  an  early  date,  Riddell  spoke  of  it  as 
altogether  premature. 

"  My  salary  is  larger  than  his,  and  my  pros 
pects  better  ;  yet  I  would  not  think  of  such  an 
act  of  injustice  to  my  wife  as  to  marry  now 
I've  said  all  I  could  to  Jordan  ;  but  you  might 
as  well  talk  to  the  wind.  When  he  sets  hi«s 
mind  upon  doing  anything,  he  can  see  no 
reason  in  anything  you  may  urge  to  the  con 
trary.  " 

This  was  said  to  Anne,  but  she  made  no 
answer.  She  did  not  so  greatly  blame  Jordan 
and  her  sister  ;  but  then,  she  could  not,  on  ac 
count  of  the  delicacy  of  her  own  position,  ven 
ture  a  word  of  justification. 

"  In  a  little  while  I  shall  go  into  business  for 
myself,"  he  added.  "  A  very  few  years  will 
give  me  the  ability  to  place  my  wife  in  the  po 
sition  she  is  by  nature  destined  to  fill ;  and 
introduce  her  to  the  circle  she  will  adorn." 

A  few  years  !  How  long  a  time  that  seemed 
to  Anne.  She  did  not  seem  ambitious  to  grace 
the  circles  of  fashion,  nor  to  fill  any  higher 
place  than  the  affections  of  her  husband.  But 
1*he  acquiesced,  with  apparent  cheerfulness,  ic 


22  BAKING    HAVTE    TO    BE.    RICH 

his  views,  and  carefully  guarded  her  lips,  lest 
they  should  betray  what  was  in  her  hoart. 

Within  a  year,  Jordan  and  Maria  were  mar 
ried.  Riddell  did  not  hesitate  to  express  hb 
strong  disapproval  of  the  act,  but  what  he 
thought  and  felt  on  the  subject  was  of  but  little 
account  to  those  most  deeply  interested.  In 
stead  of  taking  a  showy  house,  and  going  in 
debt  for  costly  furniture,  the  young  married 
pair  were  content  with  a  couple  of  pleasant 
rooms,  the  rent  of  which  was  less  than  a  hun 
dred  dollars  a  year.  In  their  humble  way, 
they  were  far  happier  than  hundreds  around 
them  more  ambitious  to  make  an  appearance  in 
the  world. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FIRST  DEPARTURE  FROM  RIGHT. 

NEARLY  twelve  months  elapsed  after  Riddell 
had  entered  into  an  engagement  of  marriage 
with  Anne  Bradford,  before  the  long  looked  for 
and  long  desired  co-partnership  proposition  was 
made.  It  came,  as  he  had  expected,  from  a 
merchant  named  Alexander,  who  wished  to  make 


FIRSi'    DEPARTURE    FROM    RIG/11.  23 

for  his  son  a  business  connexion  with  a  man  of 
capacity,  mercantile  education,  and  energy  of 
character.  In  Riddell,  after  having  for  a  long 
time  observed  him  closely,  he  believed  he  had 
found  the  right  man.  His  proposition  was  to 
furnish  a  cash  capital  of  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars,  and  for  the  use  of  that  to  have  one- 
third  of  the  net  profits  of  the  business  ;  the 
other  two  thirds  to  be  equally  divided  between 
his  son  and  Riddell. 

•Our  young  adventurer  thought  this  very 
fair,  and  did  not  hesitate  about  its  acceptance. 
As  he  anticipated,  his  partner  proved  to  bo  a 
mere  cypher,  and  spent  much  more  time  in 
riding  out,  and  lounging  in  public  places  of 
resort,  than  in  his  store.  Of  course,  the  entire 
burden  of  the  business  fell  upon  him  ;  but  he 
had  no  objection  to  this,  as  it  would  furnish  him 
with  a  good  plea,  when  the  right  time  came,  as 
come  he  meant  that  it  should,  to  get  rid  of 
young  Alexander,  and  thus  come  into  the  enjoy 
ment  of  the  whole,  instead  of  one-third,  of  the 
profits  of  the  concern. 

The  idea  of  anything  unjust  did  not  come 
into  his  thoughts.  He  had  a  perfect  right  to 
look  to  his  own  interest,  and  he  meant  to  do  it 
He  did  not  form  a  business  connexion  for  the 
sake  of  benefiting  his  partner,  but  him- 
3 


24  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

pelf.  If  that  partner  did  not  choose  to  look 
after  his  own  affairs,  he  could  not  blauie  any 
one  if  they  did  not,  in  the  end,  turn  out  alto 
gether  to  his  satisfaction. 

For  three  years,  Riddell  pushed  the  new 
business  with  untiring  efforts,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  considered  himself  fairly  worth  ten 
or  fifteen  thousand  dollars  in  the  concern,  be 
sides  having  five  thousand  dollars  safely  invest 
ed  and  bearing  a  good  interest,  waiting  for  the 
time  when  he  would  have  use  for  it.  Notwith 
standing  all  that  the  father  could  do,  young 
Alexander  would  not  attend  to  business,  and  so 
affairs  were  left  in  the  hands  of  his  energetic 
partner,  who  managed  everything  to  sxiit  him 
self,  steadily  looking  forward  to  the  time,  when 
he  should  be  able  to  appropriate  the  entire  pro 
ceeds  of  his  own  labor  for  his  own  benefit. 

For  these  three  years,  he  had  been  constant 
in  his  attentions  to  Anne  Bradford ;  but  still 
spoke  of  the  day  of  marriage  as* remote.  He 
was  sincerely  attached  to  her,  and  often  felt 
like  speaking  the  word  that  would  bring  their 
long  season  of  waiting  to  a  close.  But,  from 
these  moments  of  weakness,  he  would  rise  into 
a  firmer  resolution  to  await,  patiently,  until  he 
was  able  to  take  upon  himself  the  expense  of  a 
family.  During  all  this  time,  Anne  never 


FIRST    DEPARTURE    FROM    RIGHT.  25 

murmured  ;  never  by  word,  look,  or  tone,  Cora- 
plained  of  the  long  delay.  Still,  she  could 
not,  by  an  effort  of  the  will,  send  the  warm 
glow  to  her  cheek,  nor  kindle  up  the  old 
fires  that  burned  in  her  beautiful  eyes.  Hope, 
long  deferred,  was  making  her  heart  sick. 

As  time  went  on,  Riddell  grew  more  and 
more  impatient  of  his  connexion  with  Alexander, 
who  continued  to  play  the  gentleman,  and  leave 
all  the  work  in  his  hands.  Daily  did  he  pon 
der  over  the  means  of  getting  safely  freed  from 
the  connexion.  But  he  was  shrewd  enough  to 
see,  that  the  credit  of  the  house  depended  not 
so  much  up8n  his  business  capacity,  as  it  did 
upon  the  substantiality,  in  a  money  point  of 
view,  of  his  indolent  partner ;  and,  therefore, 
he  considered  it  the  better  policy,  to  hold  on 
yet  awhile  longer,  than  to  risk  all  in  cutting 
loose  from  him. 

As  a  natural  consequence  of  his  business  as 
sociation  with  a  member  of  a  wealthy  family, 
Riddell  gradually  found  his  way  into  social  cir 
cles  above  those  in  which  he  had  moved,  and 
mingled  freely  with  the  rich  and  fashionable 
The  thought,  how  easy  it  would  be  for  him  to 
make  a  fortune  in  a  day,  by  marrying  a  woman 
who  had  money,  now  and  then  intruded  itself: 


26     .  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

but  the  instant  remembrance  of  Anne  expelled 
the  errant  thought. 

One  day  a  friend  said  to  him, 

"  Why  havn't  you  been  as  wide  awake  as 
Berkley  ?" 

"  In  what  has  he  shown  superior  wakeful- 
ness  ?"  enquired  Riddell. 

"  In  securing  a  wife  worth  a  cool  fifty  thou 
sand." 

"  Berkley  !" 

"  Yes,  Berkley.  Your  quiet  looking  men 
are  deep." 

"  Worth  fifty  thousand !     Who  is  she  ?" 

"  None  other  than  the  niece  of  otd  Mr.  Alex 
ander — your  partner's  cousin." 

"  Mary  Glenn  ?» 

"  The  same.  What  have  you  been  about, 
that  you  did  not  secure  that  prize  for  yourself  ? 
You  have  had  opportunities  enough.  Surely, 
if  a  man  like  Berkley  could  win  the  lady's 
heart,  you  would  have  had  no  difficulty." 

"  What  you  say  surprises  me  Can  it  be 
true  ?" 

"  There  is  no  doubt  of  it.  I  have  it  from 
the  best  authority." 

Riddell  was  fully  assured  that  it  was  so  a 
week  or  two  afterwards,  when  he  received  an 
invitation  to  attend  the  wedding  party 


FIRST    DEPARTURE    FROM    RIGHT  27 

In  spite  of  all  he  could  do,  the  young  man 
found  it  now  impossible  to  force  from  his  mind 
a  feeling  of  regret  that  Anne  had  not  possessed 
a  handsome  fortune,  instead  of  being  penniless. 
To  be  able  to  acquire,  like  Berkley,  fifty 
thousand  dollars  by  marriage,  would  be  the  most 
desirable  consummation  in  the  world.  It  would 
at  once  put  it  in  his  power  to  break  away  from 
Alexander,  and  give  free  scope  to  his  enterpris 
ing  spirit.  With  fifty  thousand  dollars  what 
could  he  not  do  ?  In  imagination  he  saw  him 
self  sweeping  onward  in  the  race  for  great 
wealth  with  thrilling  velocity.  But  a  thought 
of  the  reality  of  his  position  checked  this  fan 
cied  speed,  and  threw  over  him  a  feeling  of 
discouragement. 

"  To  think,"  he  murmured,  "  that  a  plod 
ding  fellow  like  Berkley,  should  have  such  fa 
cilities  thrown  in  his  way,  and  I  left  to  struggle 
on  as  I  am,  paying  at  the  enormous  rate 
of  from  sixty  to  seventy  per  cent,  per  annum 
for  the  capital  upon  which  I  operate.  I  am 
sick  of  this  toil  for  the  benefit  of  others.  It 
is  unjust  to  myself." 

Such  thoughts,  once  entertained  in  a  mind 

like  Riddell's,  became  permanent  guests.     And 

now  there  began  a  struggle  between  honor  and 

self-interest.     Between  his  love  for  Anne  Brad- 

3* 


cS  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

ford  and  his  love  of  gain ;  and  it  was  a  long 
and  severe  struggle,  driving  for  many  a  night, 
sleep  from  his  eyes,  and  troubling  his  thoughts 
day  after  day  so  deeply,  that  even  business  was 
half  neglected 

In  the  midst  of  this  stern  contest,  Riddell 
met  a  beautiful  young  creature,  who  presented 
the  double  charm  of  possessing  uncommon  per 
sonal  attractions  and  a  rich  father.  At  his 
first  introduction,  she  seemed  particularly 
pleased  with  him.  The  second  time  they  met, 
he  read  in  her  eyes  something  that  made  his 
pulse  beat  quicker.  Their  third  meeting 
brought  to  his  mind  this  conviction,  that  he  had 
only  to  woo  to  win. 

The  father  of  the  young  lady  Riddell  knew 
personally.  Their  business  brought  them  in 
3ontact  almost  every  day.  He  was  a  merchant 
named  Ackland.  The  daughter  he  had  never 
happened  to  meet  before. 

Mr.  Ackland,  Riddell  had  always  liked. 
He  was  a  perfect  gentleman  in  his  business  as 
well  as  in  his  social  intercourse  ;  and  there  was 
a  frankness  that  inspired  confidence,  and  made 
yo a  feel  at  home  with  him. 

Strangely  enough,  it  seemed  to  Riddell, 
after  having  once  fallen  in  with  the  charming 
Blanche  Ackland,  he  met  her  almost  every 


FIRST    DEPARTURE    FROM    RIGHT. 

time  he  went  into  company  ;   and  was  more 
drawn  towards  her  at  each  interview. 

No  very  long  time  elapsed  before  involun 
tary  contrasts  were  drawn  in  his  mind  between 
Blanche  and  Anne,  and  they  were  not  favorable 
to  the  latter,  who  had,  from  causes  that  may 
easily  be  imagined,  grown  more  thoughtful  and 
sober  than  she  was  a  few  years  earlier  in  life 
There  was  a  freshness,  a  vivacity,  a  warmth 
and  cheerfulness  about  Miss  Ackland  that  was 
particularly  agreeable  to  Riddell,  the  more  so, 
as  the  individual  who  exhibited  all  this,  had 
even  more  substantial  charms. 

At  last  came  serious  thoughts  of  receding 
from  the  contract  long  ago  made  with  Anne 
Bradford.  The  match,  he  agreed,  was  not  a 
suitable  one  for  him,  by  any  means.  He  had 
done  very  wrong  ever  to  have  committed  him 
self.  But  how  should  he  get  free  ?  To  breai 
off,  suddenly,  and  thus  abandon  the  woman 
who  had  waited  patiently  until  he  was  ready  to 
fulfil  his  engagement,  appeared,  even  to  him, 
so  heartless,  that  he  dismissed  the  thought  of 
doing  so.  He  feared,  besides,  that  word  of  his 
shameless  breach  of  faith  would  get  wind,  and 
mar  his  prospects  in  other  quarters.  And 
more  than  all  this,  he  had  to  struggle  with 
feelings  of  compunction,  touches  of  sympathyi 


30  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

and  the  unextinguished  love  of  his  own  heart 
for  the  object  it  had  turned  to  so  long. 

For  months  this  strong  internal  contest  went 
on,  until,  at  last,  cold  selfishness  gained  the 
victory,  and  Riddell  deliberately  made  up  his 
mind  to  sever  the  bond  that  had  so  long  united 
him  with  Anne  Bradford.  How  this  was  done 
will  appear. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CRUEL    PERFIDY. 

As  month  after  month,  and  year  after  year 
went  by,  and  yet  the  day  of  her  marriage  with 
Riddell  seemed  no  nearer,  Anne  Bradford  lost 
much  of  the  lightness  of  spirits  that  made  her, 
at  one  time,  a  pleasant  companion  to  all.  In 
company  she  was  absent-minded,  and  at  home, 
more  inclined  to  dwell  in  the  seclusion  of  her 
own  chamber,  than  mingle  with  the  family. 
Still,  her  heart  was  true  to  the  sun  of  its  love  ; 
and  she  strove  to  keep  firm  in  the  belief,  that 
her  betrothed  knew  best  when  the  rite  that 
was  to  make  them  one,  should  be  celebrated. 
At  last,  however,  something  in  the  manner 


CRUEL    PERFIDT.  31 

of  Riddell,  added  to  the  fact  that  his  visits  were 
becoming  less  and  less  frequent,  awoke  the 
painful  suspicion  that  he  was  growing  indiffer 
ent.  From  that  moment  darkness  fell,  like  a 
pall,  over  her  heart.  When  her  lover  came, 
she  would  rally  herself  with  a  strong  effort,  and 
strive  to  appear  as  of  old,  but  the  disguise  as 
sumed  did  not  conceal  all.  He  was  colder  and 
more  formal,  and,  evidently,  under  a  certain 
degree  of  restraint  in  her  presence.  One  even 
ing  he  called,  and  met  Anne  with  a  manner 
more  than  usually  cordial.  He  spoke  of  tho 
length  of  time  they  had  waited,  and  said  that 
the  period  long  looked  for  was  not  now,  he 
hoped,  far  distant.  Gradually  he  grew  more 
and  more  fond  and  familiar  in  his  words  and 
manner — more  so,  in  fact,  than  he  had  ever 
been — and  ended  in  venturing  to  take  an  in 
suiting  liberty,  that  was  resented  by  the  out 
raged  maiden,  in  a  prompt  and  indignant  order 
for  him  to  leave  her  presence.  He  instantly 
obeyed. 

"Free,  and  by  her  own  word!"  said  the 
young  man,  exultingly,  as  he  turned  from  the 
house.  He  had  calculated  with  accuracy,  and 
gained  a  desired  result.  But  the  thoughts  that 
forced  themselves  upon  his  mind,  soon  took 
away  all  the  pleasure  a  sense  of  freedom  gave 


32  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

He  felt  the  baseness,  the  dishonor,  the  cruelty 
of  what  he  had  done,  and,  ere  the  act  was  an 
hour  old,  sat  with  a  burning  cheek  brooding 
over  his  shameful  perfidy,  and  cursing  the 
heartlessness  that  could  prompt  to  such  a  deed. 

This  was  the  first  result.  But  oblivious  self- 
love  soon  came  to  his  relief;  and  the  great 
good  to  be  gained  by  the  sacrifice  came  looming 
up  before  him,  and  making  his  spirit  light  with 
pleasant  anticipations.  A  weight  that  had 
been  bearing  him  down  was  removed.  He 
could  now  pursue  the  great  end  of  his  life 
without  a  trammel.  The  world  was  wide  be 
fore  him. 

Poor  Anne  Bradford  !  How  suddenly  waa 
her  cup  dashed  to  the  earth  !  After  her  false 
hearted  lover  retired,  she  had  barely  strength 
to  go  up  to  her  room,  where  she  sank  upon  the 
bed,  insensible.  On  the  next  morning,  she  did 
not  appear  at  the  usual  breakfast  hour,  and 
when  her  mother  went  to  her  chamber  to  as 
certain  the  reason,  she  found  her  very  ill.  But 
as  to  the  cause  of  the  illness,  or  its  nature,  she 
could  learn  nothing.  Her  daughter's  counte 
nance  was  exceedingly  pale,  and  had  a  look  of 
great  suffering.  Her  eyes  she  did  not  once 
open,  although  she  was  awake,  and  made  low, 
brief  replies,  in  a  sad  voice,  to  the  eager  ques 


CRUEL    PERFIDY.  33 

tions  that  were  asked  ;  out  the  wet  lids  showed, 
too  plainly,  that  she  had  been  weeping. 

"  I  will  send  Edward  for  the  doctor  immedi 
ately,"  said  Mrs.  Bradford,  moving  away  from 
the  bedside,  after  having  in  vain  tried  to  get  at 
some  knowledge,  were  it  but  remote,  of  her 
daughter's  ailment.  But  no  sooner  was  this 
intention  declared,  than  Anne  raised  up  quickly, 
and  called  after  her  mother,  in  a  low,  trem 
bling  voice 

"  Oh,  no,  no  !  Don't  send  for  the  doctor; 
he  will  do  me  no  good." 

Mrs.  Bradford  turned,  and  went  back  to  the 
bedside. 

u  My  dear  child,"  she  said,  with  earnest 
tenderness,  u  tell  me  the  cause  of  this  sudden 
and  strange  illness.  What  does  it  mean  ?• 
What  has  happened  ?" 

Anne  sank  forward,  and  hid  her  face  in  her 
mother's  bosom. 

"  Speak,  Anne  !  Conceal  nothing  from  me." 

But  the  heart-sick  girl  gave  no  reply,  ex 
cept  in  tears.  There  was  a  silence  of  many 
minutes. 

"  Say,  my  daughter  ?  What  has  happened  ' 
Confide  in  me  ;  you  know  that  I  am  your  best 
and  truest  friend,"  Mrs.  Bradford  nt  length 
said.  - 


34  MAKING     UASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

A  deep,  shuddering  sigh  passed  through  the 
frame  of  the  unhappy  girl.  But  no  sound 
came  from  her  tightly  closed  lips. 

"  Anne!"  The  mother  spoke  in  a  calm  dis 
tinct  voice,  and  in  a  tone  that  plainly  said, 
"  My  child  must  answer  me." 

"  Anne  '"  she  repeated,  still  firmly,  but  ten 
derly. 

The  daughter  did  not  speak,  hut  there  was  a 
plain  indication  that  she  heard. 

"  Will  you  not  confide  in  me  ?" 

"  Mother,"  murmured  the  suffering  girl, 
"  I  can  say  nothing  now.  1  feel  as  if  it  would 
kill  me  to  speak.  But  do  not  send  for  a  phy 
sician  ;  he  can  do  me  no  good.  Leave  me  to 
myself  for  a  little  while.  It  may  be  that  my 
heart  will  grow  stronger." 

As  desired,  Mrs.  Bradford  left  Anne  alone. 
In  an  hour  she  returned,  and  found  that  she 
had  arisen  and  dressed  herself.  She  was  sit 
ting  near  the  window,  her  eyes  upon  the  floor, 
and  her  face  composed,  though  exceedingly 
pale. 

u  Do  not  withhold  from  me,  any  longer,  my 
daughter,  the  cause  of  this  deep  affliction," 
eaid  the  mother,  sitting  down  by  her  side,  and 
taking  her  hand. 

With  a  steady  Voice,  Anne  related  the  occur 


CRUEL    PERFIDY.  35 

ronce  of  the  preceding  evening,  aad  ended  by 
saying : 

"  1  have  been  cruelly  deceived.  How  ten 
derly,  how  truly,  how  devotedly  I  loved  him, 
none  can  know;  and  yet  he  has  proved  himself 
unworthy.  I  could  have  seen  him  estranged 
through  higher  attractions  than  I  possess,  with 
out  the  crushing  sense  of  pain  that  I  now  feel, 
in  knowing  that  his  heart  is  base,  and  corrupt; 
enough  to  meditate  wrong  against  one  who  so 
truly  loved  him." 

Her  voice  trembled  and  choked,  but  she  re 
covered  herself,  a%d  added — 

"  Let  me  beg,  mother,  that  nothing  be  said 
of  this  beyond  the  circle  of  our  own  family.  I 
do  not  wish  to  injure  him,  unworthy  as  he  is, 
and  deeply  as  he  has  wronged  me.  As  far  aa 
strength  is  given  me  to  do  so,  will  I  endeavor 
to  bear,  patiently,  my  suffering." 

As  she  said,  so  did  Anne  strive  to  do.  But 
the  wound  had  been  struck  too  deeply,  and  the 
life-blood  flowed  steadily,  though  concealed. 
For  a  time  she  seemed  to  be  herself  again  ;  but 
in  a  few  months  it  was  too  evident  to  those  who 
knew  her  best  and  loved  her  most,  that  she 
was  failing.  Naturally  she  had  a  delicate  con» 
etitution,  in  which  had  been  sown,  at  birth,  the 
Beeds  of  early  decay  These  seeds  were  vivi- 
4 


36  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

fied  by  the  painful  shock  she  had  received 
Scarcely  a  year  passed,  before  the  stricken  one 
fell  to  the  earth. 

"  Consumption,  like  a  worm  i1  the  bud, 
Fed  on  hei  damask  cheek." 

So  it  was  sa'.d.  There  were  those  who  knew 
better*.  But  she  slept  as  sweetly  as  if  no  pang 
bad  ever  rent  her  heart ;  and  it  was  as  well. 


CHAPTER  ^V. 

THE    TWO    SCENES. 

FOR  weeks,  and  even  months,  Riddell  had  mis 
givings  as  to  consequences  arising  from  what 
he  had  done — consequences  to  himself.  But 
nothing  farther  than  a  cold  stern  glance  from 
the  eye  of  Mr.  Bradford,  whom  he  occasionally 
met,  and  a  few  smarting  words  from  his  old 
friend  Jordan,  came  to  trouble  him,  and  these 
he  did  not  think  matters  of  very  serious  mo 
ment. 

Free,  now,  to  push  his  claims  for  favor  in 
the  syes  of  the  lovely  Blanche  Ackland,  Rid 
dell  made  the  best  of  all  opportunities  for  do 
ing  so  that  occurred,  and  was  soon  happily 


THE    TWC    SCENES  37 

favored  with  evidences  of  success  not  to  be 
mistaken.  At  length  he  ventured  to  visit  her 
at  her  father's  house.  Ho  had  many  doubts  as 
to  the  result  of  this  But  it  was  favorably  re 
ceived,  both  by  the  maiden  and  her  parents,  as 
far  as  he  could  judge  from  appearances.  On 
the  day  after,  he  met  Mr.  Ackland,  who  was 
particularly  polite  to  him. 

"  So  far,  so  good,"  said  the  young  man  to 
himself.  "  Ackland  is  rich,  and  no  mistake. 
Let  me  once  get  into  his  family,  and  I  will  not 
long  be  troubled  with  Alexander,  nor  be  forced 
to  carry  on  a  large  business  for  a  third  of  the 
profits." 

Mr.  Ackland,  the  father  of  Blanche,  was  a 
man  of  wealth.  He  had  started  with  nothing 
but  his  own  industry  and  energy  of  character, 
and  these  had  carried  him  on  to  fortune.  In 
like  means  of  success  he  had  great  faith,  and 
had  settled  it  in  his  mind,  and  so  expressed  it 
in  his  family,  that  he  would  rather  see  his 
daughters  married  to  young  men  of  the  right 
stamp,  wl-.o  had  their  fortunes  to  make,  than 
become  the  wives  of  rich  men's  sons,  who  were 
far  more  likely  to  spend  what  was  left  to  them, 
and  beggar  their  families  before  they  died,  than 
they  were  to  add  to  or  even  retain  their  wealth. 
He  h^d  loner  observed  Ri<ldell  and  sot  hirr. 


38  MAKING    HAPTE    TO    BE    RfCH. 

down  as  ono  who  would  make  his  way  in  the 
world,  spite  of  all  opposition ;  and  when  he 
found  that  he  was  looking,  evidently  with  par 
tial  eyes,  upon  Blanche,  he  was  far  from  being 
displeased. 

This  being  the  case,  it  was  all  plain-sailing 
for  the  young  man.  Blanche  he  found  an  easy 
prize,  and  when  he  applied  to  the  father  for  her 
hand,  it  was  yielded  with  a  frank  assurance  that 
he  would  be  proud  to  own  him  as  a  son-in-law. 
With  Mr.  Ackland,  thrift  was  a  cardinal  virtue 
in  a  man's  character.  This  being  the  case,  it 
is  no  wonder  that  he  saw  no  defect  in  Riddell. 
,  There  were  few  lovelier  girls  than  Blanche 
Ackland.  Young,  beautiful,  highly  accom 
plished,  and  of  a  sweet  temper,  she  was  the 
favorite  of  all  who  knew  her.  Many  a  better 
man  than  Riddell  had  looked  upon  her  with 
eyes  of  love ;  but  approached  not,  hopeless  of 
winning  so  high  a  prize.  The  boldest,  not  the 
best,  usually  gain  the  loveliest  and  most  beau 
tiful.  It  is  sad  to  think  so  ;  but,  alas,  too  true. 
^ould  Blanche  have  really  known  the  baseness 
of  her  lover,  she  would  have  shrunk  from  him 
in  horror.  Oh  !  if  some  pure  spirit  could  have 
whispered  in  her  ear  the  outrage  upon,  and 
desertion  of,  Anne  Bradford,  how  would  she 
ujve  turn«  d  fr  >m  him  with  loathing.  But  this 


THE    TWO    SCENES.  '  39 

was  not  to  be  For  some  inscrutable  cause, 
she  was  suffered  to  become  his  companion ;  to 
lie  in  his  bosom  ;  to  be  his  second  self.  No, 
no,  not  that !  never  his  second  self !  That 
would  be  impossible.  Only  the  image  of  this ; 
for  true  conjunction  of  souls  never  takes  place 
between  the  evil  and  the  good.  There  is  only 
the  external  of  marriage,  never  the  true  inter 
nal. 

It  was,  in  due  time,  known  that  Riddell  was 
to  lead  to  the  altar  Blanche  Ackland.  The 
young  man  was  congratulated  on  one  side,  and 
the  father  on  the  other. 

"  I  think  your  future  son-in-law  a  man  with 
the  right  kind  of  stuff  in  him,V  said  a  friend  to 
Mr.  Ackland,  a  short  time  before  the  marriage 
of  Riddell  with  Blanche  took  place. 

"  So  do  I,"  was  replied.  "  Give  me,  after 
all,  a  man  who  has  energy  and  enterprise  enough 
to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  in  the 
face  of  all  sorts  of  disabilities  and  opposition. 
Even  if  misfortunes  should  at  any  time  meet 
him,  they  cannot  long  hold  him  under.  He 
will  rise  again  in  spite  of  everything.  It  is 
different  with  your  rich  man  born.  Throw  him 
into  the  river  of  misfortune,  and  he  sinks  to  the 
bottom  like  Lead,  and  never  can  rise  again  by 

virtue  of  any  inherent  buoyancy." 
4* 


40  -         MAKING  HASTE   ro  BE  RICH. 

"  Very  true  Inabilities  that  inhere  and 
those  that  merely  adjoin  themselves  to  a  man 
by  virtue  of  circumstances,  are  very  different." 

"  And,  strangely  enough,  too  few  make 
this  important  discrimination.  If  a  man  have 
money,  that  is  considered  merit  enough.  The 
question  whether  he  have  the  ability  to  make 
money,  should  he  lose  what  he  has,  is  not 
asked.  And  yet  the  last  consideration  is,  after 
all,  of  the  most  importance." 

"  Certainly  it  is.  That  virtue  the  young 
man  Riddell  possesses  in  a  high  degree.  Look 
with  what  energy  he  is  conducting  business, 
even  with  the  weight  of  his  good-for-nothing 
partner  upon  him." 

"  A  weight  that  he  has  already  intimated  to 
me  his  ardent  desire  to  throw  off.  But  that 
between  ourselves.  He  shall  have  the  oppor 
tunity  ere  long." 

"Can  he  get  rid  of  Alexander  easily  ?" 

"  He  must  get  rid  of  him.  The  only  thing 
that  holds  them  together  is  the  young  man's 
capital  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars." 

"  You  can  easily  put  him  above  the  want  of 
that." 

"  Yes ;  and  I  mean  to  do  so.  In  a  month 
his  marriage  with  Blanche  is  to  take  place 
&fler  the  celebration  of  that  event,  I  will  see 


THE    TWO    SCENES  41 

that  he  has  a  clearer  way  before  him  than  he 
has  yet  had." 

"  For  which  determination  I  give  you  cre 
dit,"  said  the  friend. 

The  month  soon  rolled  round,  and  the  tune 
for  celebrating  the  nuptials  of  Riddell  and 
Blanche  Ackland  arrived. 

The  parents  gave  their  daughter  a  grand 
wedding  party,  at  which  the  young  and  the 
beautiful  assembled  in  crowds  to  tender  the 
lovely  bride  their  warm  congratulations  on  the 
most  happy  event  of  her  life. 

Of  all  in  the  gay  company,  perhaps  Riddell 
felt  least  at  ease.  The  thought  of  Anne  Brad 
ford,  whom  a  month  or  two  before  he  met  in 
the  street,  looking  a  very  shadow  of  what  she 
had  been,  kept  forcing  itself  into  his  mind,  and 
resting  darkly  upon  his  spirit.  It  war,  in  vain 
that  he  turned  from  this  intruding  thought 
The  rebuking  face  of  the  maiden  he  had  so 
deeply  wronged,  was  ever  before  him,  and  there 
were  many  times  during  that  evening  when  he 
saw  nothing  else,  even  though  crowds  were 
around  him. 

"  Why  s)  serious,  my  young  friend?"  said 
an  elderly  lady  to  the  absent-minded  bride 
grown,  breaking  in  upon  thoughts  of  Anre. 

<v  Marriage  is  a  "prioui.  thing,"  replied  Hid- 


42  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

dell,  rallying  himself,  and  affect  ing  a  sentiment. 
"  Few,  I  think,  can  take  upon  them  sacred 
vows  like  those  I  have  assumed,  without  at 
least  a  few  sober  thoughts." 

"  You  are  right,"  returned  the  lady,  giving 
the  young  man  credit  for  impressions  that  ho 
did  not  feel.  "  Marriage  is  a  matter  of  serious 
import,  and  involves  far  more  than  is  generally 
imagined.  What  relates  to  mere  external 
things  is  of  small  moment  in  comparison  to 
what  relates  to  the  things  of  the  spirit.  The 
union  of  two  minds,  in  such  perfect  harmony 
as  to  make  almost  one  mind,  is  the  highest  end 
of  marriage,  and  they  who  look  below  this, 
who  regard  mere  external  things,  as  beauty, 
wealth,  worldly  connexions,  or  anything  merely 
external,  can  never  be  truly  married.  They 
may  be  adjoined,  but  never  conjoined.  I  have 
seen  many  marriages  of  this  kind,  in  which,  on 
either  one  side  or  the  other,  mere  self-interest 
was  the  bond  ;  and  I  have  never  yet  seen  one 
of  them  turn  out  what  I  would  call  happily. 
The  world  has  thought  the  parties  thereto  well 
suited  to  each  other,  and  living  together  with 
as  much  of  connubial  felicity  as  the  heart  need 
ask,  but  I  knew  better,  for  I  saw  deeper  than 
the  many  In  most  cases,  the  disappointed  * 
wife  has  been  the  deepest  sufferer,.  Ah,  my 


THE    TWO    SCENES.  43 

young  friend,  it  is  a  cruel  thing  for  a  man  to 
%take  a  young,  fond,  confiding  creature,  like 
your  Blanche,  for  instance,  without  loving  her 
truly  and  for  herself  alone.  She  may  have 
wealth :  but  riches  often  take  to  themselves 
wings  and  fly  away  ;  she  may  have  beauty : 
but  beauty  lasts  not  for  many  years  ;  and  if  sKe 
be  loved  for  only  one  or  both  of  these,  love 
will  not  survive  their  loss.  You,  I  trust,  have 
looked  deeper  than  these.  Indeed,  1  am  sure 
you  have,  and  that  the  sweet  girl  you  have 
taken  to  be  your  bride,  will  lie  nearest  your 
heart  through  life  as  a  priceless  treasure.  And 
such  she  is.  I  know  her  well ;  and  know  her 
worth.  No  matter  what  may  be  life's  changes, 
she  will  cling  to  you  and  love  you  to  the  last." 
Riddell  tried  to  respond  accordantly  with 
this;  but  the  words  so  deeply  rebuked  him, 
that  he  could  not  find  language  to  say  what  he 
wished  to  express.  He  was  conscious  that  his 
cheek  burned,  and  he  could  not  look  steadily 
into  the  face  of  the  lady  who  had  spoken  to 
him  with  such  warmth  and  freedom.  It  was  a 
great  relief  when  a  third  person  joined  them, 
and  enabled  him  to  change  the  subject  of  con 
versation.  During  the  rest  of  the  evening,  ho 
was  careful  not  to  give  the  lady  who  hud  so 
kindly  expressed  to  him  her  opinion  of  mar 


44  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

riage,  another  opportunity  of  rebuking  him  witt 
words  that  were  rather  meant  as  a  compliment  < 
But  what  she  had  already  said,  did  not  tend  to 
give  a  more  cheerful  tone  to  his  feelings,  nor 
lay  the  troubled  spirit  of  Anne,  that  pale, 
drooping,  and  sad,  was  haunting  him  even  in 
that  gay  assemblage,  where  the  sound  of  music 
mingled  with  glad  voices,  and  all  around  him 
were  bright  eyes  and  happy  faces. 

In  another  part  of  the  city,  in  a  humbler 
abode,  and  a  room  where  but  few  had  gathered, 
was  passing  another  scene,  different — far  dif 
ferent — from  this,  yet  one  in  which  Riddell,  had 
he  known  of  it,  could  not  but  have  felt  a  deep 
interest.  The  maiden  whose  confiding  heart 
he  had  basely  wronged,  insulted,  and,  it  might 
be  said,  broken,  had  filled  up  the  measure  of 
.her  days,  and  was  about  risirig  into  a  newer, 
truer,  and  better  life.  The  bitterness  of  earthly 
suffering  was  over  with  her.  The  pangs  of  in 
jured  love  were  no  more  felt.  The  wearisome 
hours  of  a  troubled  life  lingered  not  in  their 
slow  passage. 

"  1  am  ready  for  the  change,  dear  mother,'* 
she  said,  a  little  while  before  the  change  came, 
turning  her  large  bright  eyes'upon  the  face  of 
her  who  had  been  her  truest  friend,  and  who 
sat,  holding  one  of  her  thin,  whita  hands,  "  I 


THE    IWO    SCENts.  43 

do  not  think  of  death  ;  I  cannot  think  of  death  ; 
but  of  life — a  new  and  a  better  life.  Mother,  it 
is  not  hard  to  die.  To  me  it  seems  a  blessed' 
thing,  this  passing  from  a  world  of  sin  and  sor 
row  and  suffering,  to  one  where  all  tears  are 
wiped  from  the  eyes  of  the  mourner  ;  where 
sorrow  and  sighing  for  ever  flee  away." 

But  the  living  could  not  feel  as  the  dying 
one.  To  them  the  parting  was  full  of  bitter 
ness.  With  her,  were  the  angels  commissioned 
to  receive  her  spirit  in  its  resurrection  from  the 
body,  and  they  kept  her  mind  in  Ihe  thought, 
not  of  death,  but  of  eternal  life  ;  but  with  them 
were  the  sorrowing  spirits  of  bereavement ; — 
no  wonder  that  they  answered  her  words  with 
tears. 

"  Oh,  do  not  let  us  part  thus,"  she  said,  a 
heavenly  smile  irradiating  her  wan  face.  "  Why 
do  you  look  at  me  with  tearful  eyes  ?  Be  glad, 
rather,  thaf  I  am  passing  from  a  land  of  illu 
sions  and  mocking  unrealities,  to  one  where  all 
is  true  ;  where  the  outward  seeming  is  never 
false  to  what  is  within." 

But  the  loving  friends  ceased  not  to  weep 
How  could  they  staunch  their  tears  ?  The 
dying  one  had  endeared  herself  to  them  by  her 
biveetness  of  temper,  her  patience  ir  suffering, 


46  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    HIGH. 

her  unselfish  efforts  to  do  good  even  when  life 
was  failing  fast,'  and  her  feeble  frame  could 
scarce  bear  the  summer  winds  to  "  visit  it  too 
roughly." 

The  moments  sped  on  silent  wings,  and  the 
last  sands  fell  noiselessly  in  the  life-glass  of  the 
gentle  girl.  She  slept  sweetly — so  sweetly,  that 
none  marked  the  moment  when  the  spirit  took 
its  upward  way. 

Was  Riddell  guiltless  of  the  death  of  this 
pure-nfjnded  girl  ?  Alas  !  no !  She  was  the 
victim  of  his  base  cupidity ;  and  her  fall  in  the 
bloom  and  beauty  of  young  womanhood,  was 
the  first  corroborative  evidence  in  the  history 
of  his  eager  pursuit  for  wealth,  of  the  fact  that 
he  who  maketh  haste  to  be  rich,  shall  not  be 
innocent.  Those  who  understand  anything  of 
spiritual  laws,  will  hardly  wonder  that  thoughts 
of  Anne  intruded  themselves  upon  her  faithless 
lover  on  the  evening  of  his  marriage,  and  that 
these  thought  were  sad  and  oppressive;  nor 
that  even  on- the  first  night  of  their  marriage, 
he  should  be  thinking  strange  thoughts  of 
her  who  had  won  his  first,  best,  and  truest  af 
fections. 

On  the  day  following,  while  Riddell  sat  at  a 
dinner-party,  by  the  side  of  his  young  wife, 


THE    TWO    SCENKS.  47 

some  one  said,  in   a  pause  of  the  conversation, 
addressing  himself  to  the  father^>f  Blanche, 

"  You  know  Bradford,  who  has  his  manufac 
tory  near  your  store  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  very  well,"  replied  Mr.  Ackland 
"  What  of  him  ?  " 

"  I  am  told  he  lost  his  eldest  daughter  last 
night." 

"Ah!     What  ailed  her?" 

"  She  was  in  a  decline,  I  believe.  Though  if 
is  intimated,  I  know  not  with  how  much  truth, 
that  she  died  of  a  broken  heart." 

Riddell  felt  the  blood  grow  cold  in  his  veins, 
at  this  sudden  announcement  of  Anne  Brad 
ford's  death,  and  intimation  of  the  true  cause. 

"  Of  a  broken  heart  ? "  said  the  bride  in  a 
tone  of  interest.  "  Had  she  been  disappointed 
in  love  ? " 

"  So  it  is  said.  I  could  not  learn  the  name 
of  the  young  man  whose  baseness,  it  is  alleged 
by  some,  was  the  cause  of  her  early  death. 
He  won  her  affections,  and  after  keeping  her 
company  for  two  or  three  years,  under  a  mar 
riage  contract,  deserted  her  for  a  richer  bride. 
Twelve  months  sufficed  to  lay  her  among  the 
clods,  of  the  valley." 

"Poor  Bradford!"  said  Mr.  Ackland.     "He 
is  a  man  whom  I  greatly  esteem,  and  I  do  feel 
5 


48  MAKING    H4.STF.    TO    BE    RICH 

for  him  deeply.  As  to  his  daughter  she  if 
better  off  than  thje  brido  of  her  faithless  lover  , 
for  if  riches  be  the  charm  that  won  her  hus 
band,  she  will  never  be  happy  with  him.  One 
so  sordid  and  base  as  he  will  soon  show  himself 
in  his  true  colors,  even  to  her." 

The  agitation  of  Riddell's  mind  was  great. 
He  feared  to  look  into  the  face  of  any  one  at 
the  table,  lest  he  should  betray  his  feelings. 

"  I  would  not  be  the  wife  of  that  man  for  a 
thousand  worlds,"  remarked  Blanche,  with  an 
inward  shudder  at  the  thought,  and  leaning, 
with  a  trustful  air,  towards  her  husband,  as  she 
spoke. 

At  this  moment  Riddsll's  eyes  met  those  of 
a  lady  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ttible.  He 
bore  their  gaze  for  only  an  instant ;  that  was 
long  enough  to  satisfy  him  that  she  knew  his 
secret. 

Great  was  his  relief  when  the  subject  of  con 
versation  changed.  During  the  week  of  festi 
vity  that  followed  his  marriage,  he  was  haunted 
almost  constantly  with  thoughts  of  Anne  ;  and 
many  an  hour  through  the  long  nights,  did  he 
lay  awake,  feeling  every  moment  as  if  her 
wronged  spirit  were  about  to  appear.  Bitterly 
was  he  paying  the  price  of  his  first  great  error 


A     1  \lh     KIKLD    FOR    EN  FEKPRISE  49 

CHAPTER   VI. 

A    FAIR    FIELD    FOR    ENTERPRISE. 

THE  ruling  love  of  every  man,  be  it  what  it 
may,  holds  in  subjection  all  other  affections  of 
his  mind.  At  times  this  love  is  quiescent,  and 
then  other  affections  show  themselves  ;  but  the 
moment  it  again  awakens  into  life,  everything 
that  docs  not  accord  with  it,  is  hushed  into  re 
pose. 

The  ruling  love  of  Riddell,  was  a  love  of  ac 
quiring  money  for  its  own  sake.  He  was  am 
bitious  of  possessing  great  wealth.  Every 
affection  of  his  mind,  therefore,  that  stood  in 
the  way  of  the  accomplishment  of  this  great 
end,  had  to  come  into  subserviency ;  or  retire, 
lest  it  be  consumed  by  the  heat  thereof.  When 
he  went  forth  into  the  world  again,  after  the 
excitement  of  gay  parties,  dinners,  and  excur 
sions  was  over,  his  ruling  love  assumed,  once 
more,  dominion  in  his  mind,  and  he  no  longer 
writhed  beneath  the  smarting  pains  that  intel 
ligence  of  Anne's  death  had  brought.  The 
story  of  a  broken  heart,  that  he  had  felt  to  be 
true,  was  no  move  believed.  Consumption  had 
done  the  work  of  d^ath  unon  her,  and  would 


50  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

have  done  it  if  he  Lad  never  known  her.  R  id- 
dell  was  again  a  man  of  the  world,  eager  in  his 
pursuit  of  the  highest  prize  he  believed  it  in 
the  power  of  the  world  to  bestow.  "  Requi- 
escat  in  //ace,"  he  said,  and  dismissed  the 
thought  of  Anne  Bradford  from  his  mind. 

Th§  next  important  step  for  Riddell  to  take, 
in  order  to  secure  his  worldly  interests,  was  to 
get  the  business  of  Alexander  and  Riddell  en 
tirely  into  his  own  hands.  Within  a  few  months, 
from  some  cause  or  other,  a  change  had  taken 
place  in  his  partner.  He  no  longer  spent  a 
large  portion  of  his  time  in  pleasure-taking, 
or  lounging  about  the  store,  but  gave  active  at 
tention  to  business,  and  showed  himself  to  pos 
sess  both  talents  and  shrewdness.  But  Riddell 
was  careful  to  give  him  as  little  opportunity  to 
bo  useful  as  possible,  and  to  force  him  as  much 
as  he  could  into  the  position  of  a  mere  cypher. 
This  did  not  now  suit  the  young  man,  who  felt 
that  his  partner  was  assuming  too  much,  and  hold 
ing  too  exclusive  a  control  over  the  business. 

What  was  passing  in  the  mind  of  Alexander, 
Riddell  plainly  saw  ;  and  he  also  saw,  with 
the  quick  perception  self-interest  gave  him, 
that  it  would  be  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world 
to  fret  the  young  man,  and  thus  gradually  pro 
voke  a  quarrel,  that  would  end  in  a  dissolution 


A  FAIR  FIELD  FOR  ENTERPRISE        51 

No  one  tVen  would  suspect  that  he  had  used 
the  capital  and  credit  of  Alexander  as  long  as  it 
was  useful  to  him,  and  then  thrown  his  partner  off. 

With  this  end  in  his  mind,  he  cculd  be  par- 
fectly  cool,  while  Alexander  lost  tempyr  and  in 
dulged  in  offensive  language.  For  a  month  or 
two,  he  continued  to  resist  all  his  partner's 
efforts  to  get  an  equal  share  of  control  in  the 
business,  and  treated  him  as  if  he  were  actu 
ally  encroaching,  upon  and  trying  to  invade  his 
rights.  At  length,  Alexander  told  him  boldly, 
that  he  acted  as  if  he  had  been  playing  a  false 
game  in  the  business,  and  was  fearful  of  detec 
tion.  This  was  enough. 

"  Let  the  business  be  closed  then,"  prompt 
ly  returned  Riddell. 

"  As  you  please,"  coolly  replied  Alexander. 

"  It  shall  be  closed  !"  exclaimed  Riddell 
with  emphasis.  "  I  will  not  remain  a  day 
longer  the  partner  of  a  man  who  neglected  his 
business  for  years,  and  then  insults  me,  because 
I  am  not  weak  enough  to  yield  the  reins  to  his 
unskilful  hands." 

Efforts  were  made  by  the  father  and  friends 
of  Alexander  to  heal  the  breach,  but  Riddell 
would  listen  to  none  of  their  overtures. 
He  affected  tc  be  deeply  hurt  by  the  suspicions 
that  his  partner  had  cast  upon  him  in  a  moment 


52  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

when  chafed  beyond  endurance,  and  insisted 
that  a  thorough  and  rigid  scrutiny  into  the 
whole  business  be  made.  This  was  what  he 
least  of  all  thiLgs  wished ;  and  what  he  pre 
vented  by  this  very  course.  Not  that  there 
was  any  thing  wrong,  but  he  was  not  willing 
that  the  actual  extent  of  the  business  should  be 
known,  and  its  true  value  seen. 

As  nothing  but  a  dissolution  of  the  co  part 
nership  would  be  agreed  to  by  Riddell,  an  ef 
fort  was  made  to  effect  this  in  a  way  satisfactory 
to  all  parties.  But  there  was  only  one  way  that 
would  satisfy  our  young  adventurer,  and  that 
was  an  arrangement  by  which  he  was  to  retain 
th§  business.  He  did  not  avow  this  ;  but  rather 
kept  it  most  carefully  concealed.  His  mode  of 
operation,  was  to  bring  objections  against  every 
proposed  plan  of  settlement,  and  refuse,  on 
some  plea  of  injustice,  to  accede  to  every 
thing  that  was  suggested.  Even  to  an  arbitra 
tion  he  demurred.  At  last,  the  father  of  Alex 
ander  became  wearied  out  with  him,  and  to 
get  rid  of  the  -whole  matter,  offered  to  take 
forty  thousand  dollars  for  his  own  and  his  son's 
interest  in  the  business,  and  let  him  have  it  all 
to  himself.  But  Riddell  would  give  but  thirty- 
five  thousand.  Hopeless  of  any  better  arrange 
ment  with  a  man  who  seemed  so  strangely  ol> 


A    FAIR    FIEI.0    FOR    ENTERPRISE.  D.-f 

tase  to  everything  that  did  not  look  directly  to 
his  own  interest,  Mr.  Alexander  finally  agreed  to 
take  the  last  named  sum,  which  was  fully  se 
cured  to  him  by  Mr.  Ackland,  and  Riddell 
found  himself  where  he  had  for  years  earnestly 
desired  to  be.  From  the  day  the  old  sign  of 
Alexander  and  Riddell  was  displaced  by  one  bear 
ing  the  name  of  Franklin  Riddell,  our  enter 
prising  man  of  business  expatiated  in  a  new  field, 
and  marched  onward  with  rapid  strides.  The 
withdrawal  of  Alexander  did  not  in  the  least 
affect  the  credit  of  the  house,  for  it  was  well 
understood  that  RiddelPs  father-in-law  had 
furnished  an  equal  amount  of  capital  to  that 
withdrawn,  or  rather,  had  left  the  business  in  its 
integrity  and  assumed  the  payment  of  what 
Alexander  had  put  in. 

It  must  not  be  inferred  that  young  Riddell 
was  led  into  wild  and  fruitless  schemes  of 
profit.  Not  he.  He  looked  too  clearly  to 
the  main  chance.  But  he  was  shrewd, 
acute,  and  active,  and  did  a  larger  amount  of 
profitable  business,  by  one-third,  than  any 
other  merchant  who  had  only  the  sa  ne  ca  ital. 
His  ruling  love  kept  him  ever  on  the  alert. 
He  was,  as  he  had  long  before  expressed  it, 
wide  awake  as  well  as  full  of  the  go-ahead 
spirit.  No  one  got  the  advantage  of  him  iii  bar- 


f)4  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

gain-making,  for  no  one  watched  with  a  closer 
or  more  intelligent  eye  the  fluctuations  of  the 
market,  or  with  more  shrewdness  the  rise  and 
fall  of  prices.  Many  and  many  an  operation 
did  he  make,  without  even  bringing  the  article 
bought  and  sold  to  his  store,  and  always  at  good 
advantage  to  himself.  A  sharper  hand  at  driv 
ing  a  bargain,  without  appearing  to  be  sharp, 
was  not  to  be  found.  In  fact,  he  was  too  sharp 
to  be  strictly  honest.  He  stopped  at  no  ad 
vantage  that  he  could  gain,  provided  it  did  not 
lay  him  open  to  the  charge  of  fraud. 

To  a  man  like  Riddell  will  always  be  pre 
sented  ways  of  using  capital  to  advantage  much 
more  extensive  fhan  his  means.  In  other 
words,  he  can  always  see  how  twice  the  busi 
ness  he  is  doing  could  be  done,  if  he  but  had 
money  to  do  it  with.  Prudence  whispered  to 
Riddell  that  he  had  better  not  trespass  too  far 
upon  Mr.  Acklaud  for  the  means  of  enlarging 
his  business,  lest  that  individu  1  should  become 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  he  was  extending 
himself  too  far.  It  would  be  far  bettor  in  the 
end,  he  saw,  to  let  Mr.  Ackland  come  forward 
himself  and  proffer  aid,  than  for  him  to  solicit 
it.  But,  pushing  everything  with  might  and 
main  as  he  was  doing,  he  found  himself,  in 
less  than  a  year  after  the  dissolution  with 


A    FAIR    FIELD    FC R    ENTERPRISE.  65 

Alexander,  closely  pressed  in  making  his  pay 
ments. 

"  This  will  not  do,"  he  said  to  himself. 
*'  No  man  who  expects  to  succeed  ultimately 
in  business,  must  permit  himself  to  get  hard 
pressed  for  money,  and  thus  have  his  thoughts 
diverted  from  schemes  of  profit.  I  must  put 
my  mind  to  the  matter  and  get  it  in  a  better 
condition.  Here  is  an  impediment,  and  I  will 
remove  it." 

Thus  far  he  had  stood  aloof  from  all  money 
institutions,  and  left  financiering  operations  to 
others.  ,  But  the  time  had  come  for  him  to 
diverge  a  little  from  the  old  way.  He,  there 
fore,  made  himself  as  familiar  as  possible  with 
the  whole  under  current  of  things  in  the  mo 
ney  world,  and  pondered  for  some  time  ovei 
the  safest  and  surest  way  to  get  command  of 
enough  capital  to  make  him  perfectly  easy^  • 
and  yet  enable  him  considerably  to  extend  his 
business.  This,  he  was  shrewd  enough  to  see, 
was  not  to  be  accomplished  in  a  day,  nor  with 
out  some  risk,  as  he  would  have  to  work  by 
others,  and  be  in  danger  of  loss  through  their 
mistakes  and  embarrassments.  But  plenty  of 
capital  was  a  great  thing  to  have,  and  worth 
some  risk  to  obtain. 

If  Riddell  had  been  content  to  go  on  as  he 


56  M  \KING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

was  going,  and  willing  to  donfine  his  business 
within  the  limits  of  his  available  means,  ha 
would  have  accumulated  money  quite  fast 
enough  to  satisfy  almost  any  one.  But  the 
mania  for  getting  rich  fast — for  making  twenty 
or  thirty  thousand  dollars  in  a  year — had  seized 
him,  and  the  "  paltry  profits  "  of  regular  trade 
on  a  "  small  capital,"  were  as  nothing  in  his 
eyes. 

"  If  you  will  take  my  advice,"  said  a  mer 
chant,  with  whom  he  had  some  conversation  in 
regard  to  the  means  to  be  used  in  getting  him 
self  in  the  Board  of  Directors  in  a  certain 
Banking  Institution,  "  you  will  keep  entirely 
aloof  from  everything  of  the  kind.  You  have 
a  fa_r  capital  in  business,  and  a  good  credit. 
Stand  fast  by  them,  and  they  will  carry  you 
on  to  fortune  safely.  But  if  you  venture  upon 
this  fluctuating  sea,  you  will  be  in  danger.  I 
speak  from  what  I  know.  Many  and  many  a 
goodly  vessel  have  I  seen  go  over.  Here,  my 
young  fiicnd,  more  sail  than  ballast  is  usually 
carried.  I  have  tempted  this  sea  ;  and  am  on 
it  now,  with  all  my  fortune  afloat  I  do  not 
fear  greatly  for  myself,  for  I  take  care  of  the 
ballast,  and  steer  wide  of  heavy  craft  that  might 
go  down  and  engulf  me  in  the  whirl  of  waters 
But,  where  one  rides  on  safely  to  fortune,  ten 


A    FAIR    FIELD    FOR    ENTERPRISE.  57 

are  lured  to  destruction.  For  a  young  and 
ardent  man  like  you,  it  is  dangerous  to  tempt 
this  sea." 

"lam  ardent,  I  own,'1  replied  Riddell 
"  But  I  believe  my  ardency  of  temper  is  well 
balanced.  I  can  understand  the  operation  of 
things  about  as  clearly  as  anybody.  What  you 
Bay  will  apply  to  nine  in  ten  ;  but  I  hold  my 
self  to  be  the  exception.  I  am  not  afraid.  To 
go  on  as  I  am  now  going,  when  opportunities 
of  doubling  niy  profits,  if  I  had  but  ampler 
means,  are  all  around  me,  chafes  my  eager 
spirit.  I  see  myself  losing  thousands  every 
year,  that  might  be  made.  Elderkin,  I  am 
told,  has  never  less  than  thirty  or  forty  thou 
sand  dollars  out  of  bank,  and  why  may  not  I 
have  the  same  facilities  ?" 

"  You  may  have  the  same  facilities  if  you 
work  your  card  right,"  replied  the  merchant, 
whose  name  was  Partridge,  "  and  much  greater 
ones.  I  have  often  had  the  use  of  double  that 
amount  of  money ." 

"Indeed!" 

"  Oh,  yes.  The  few,  not  the  many,  use  the 
capital  of  most  banking  institutions." 

"  Give  me  such  facilities,  and  I  won't  thank 
any  man  to  stand  my  friend." 

"  Then  you  arc  seriously  proposed  to  try 


bS  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

your  hand  at  money-raising,  as  well  as  money- 
making  ?" 

"  J  am.  I  must  raise  money  before  I  can 
make  it." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Partridge.  u  I  think  1 
can  manage  to  secure  your  election  in  the 
Citizens'  Bank.  I  have  a  good  deal  of  influence 
there.  New  directors  will  be  chosen  in  about 
six  weeks.  Are  you  a  stockholder  ?" 

"  No." 

"  You  must  own  a  few  shares  of  the  stock. 
Say  twenty  shares." 

"  Which  will  cost  me  a  couple  of  thousand 
dollars." 

"  Yes.  But  if  you  can't  well  spare  this 
amount  of  money,  you  can  borrow  back  two- 
thirds  of  it  on  a  stock  note." 

"  That  wouldn't 'look  well." 

"  No ;  and  should  be  avoided  if  possible. 
Still,  if  nothing  better  can  be  done,  you  might 
venture  on  that  expedient." 

"  You  are  in  the  Board  ?" 

"  Oh  yes." 

"  And  expect  to  go  in  again  ?'* 

"  I  shall  be  made  President  at  the  next  elec 
tion." 

"  You  ?" 

"  Yes." 


A    FAIR    FIELD    FOR    ENTERPRISE.  59 

"  Are  you  certain  ?" 

"  Riddell,"  said  Mr.  Partridge,  changing 
his  whole  tone  and  manner,  and  speaking  with 
impressive  seriousness,  "  there  is  something  iu 
you,  that,  I  frankly  own,  I  like.  I  do  not  be 
long  to  the  common,  slow-coach  tribe  of  plod 
ders,  with  whom  I  never  had  and  never  can 
have  any  patience.  There  is  enterprise,  reso 
lution,  boldness,  and  apprehension  about  you, 
and  these  are  just  to  my  fancy.  But,  before 
another  step  is  taken  in  the  matter  proposed, 
and  before  I  admit  you  any  farther  into  a 
knowledge  of  my  affairs,  let  us  understand  each 
other  fully.  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  make 
your  fortune,  if  you  are  of  the  true  stamp,  and 
I  believe  you  are.  Can  I  repose  the  fullest 
confidence  in  you  ?" 

"  I  can  only  give  you  my  word  that  you 
can,"  replied  Riddell.  "  But,  you  know  as 
well  as  I  do,  that  interest  is  the  strongest  bojid 
that  binds  a  mail  to  his  fellow." 

"True." 

"  Let  that  bond  unite  us,  and  we  need  not 
fear  each  other." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  Partridge.     u  Very 

well,  as  I  have  just  intimated,  I  have  it  in  my 

power  to  make  your  fortune  if  you  be  of  the 

right  stamp.     There  are  many  wheels  within 

6 


60  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

wheels,  Riddell  The  periphery  of  the  great 
wheel,  with  its  sljw,  orderly  revolutions,  meets 
only  the  public  eye  ;  those  that  whirl  with  al 
most  lightning-like  speed  within,  and  in  a  re 
verse  direction,  ars  not  seen.  They  do  the 
most  work.  As  I  have  said,  I  shall  be  chosen 
President  of  the  Citizens'  Bank  at  the  next 
election.  Do  you  know  how  that  will  be 
done  ?" 

"  I  am  in  ignorance  of  the  means  to  be  em 
ployed." 

"  And  so  are  a  great  many  others.  The 
stock  of  this  bank  happens  to  be  in  the  hands 
of  a  few.  I  own  one-third  of  it." 

"  You  ?» 

"  Yes.  And  can  control  the  votes  of  an 
other  third." 

"  Then  you  can  choose  your  own  Board  of 
Directors,  as  well  as  elect  yourself  President :" 

"  That  is  the  plain  A  B  C  of  the  matter ; 
although  we  mustn't  say  so.  It  doesn't  sound 
well.  The  Directors  being  of  my  selection, 
will  all  be  men  upon  whom  I  can  depend.  Yon 
understand  ?" 

"Clearly." 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go  into  the  Board  ?" 

*'  I  am !"  was  the  prompt  and  emphatic  re 
ply. 


HOW  THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE.        61 

"  Procure  a  few  shares  of  the  stock.  Eight 
or  ten  will  do  ;  and  I  '11  see  to  your  election. 
It  is  needless,  I  am  sure,  to  enjoin  the  most 
perfect  secrecy.  A  whisper  of  the  real  truth 
would  mar  everything." 

"  Don't  fear  me,  Mr.  Partridge.  I  shall 
keep  my  own  counsel." 

1  After  you  are  in  the  Board,  I  will  give 
you  a  hint  or  two,  that  you  can  use  for  your 
own  advantage.  But,  enough  for  the  present." 

Riddell  did  not  know  the  m^p  with  whom 
this  singular  interview  was  held,  as  well  as  he 
knew  him  afterwards.  In  duo  time  the  elec 
tion  for  President  and  Directors  took  place, 
and  Riddell  found  himself  numbered  among  tho 
twelve  men  who,  twice  a  week,  sat  at  a  long 
table,  covered  with  green  baize,  in  the  Direc 
tors'  room  of  the  Citizens'  Bank,  and  decided 
upon  the  paper  offered  for  discount. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HOW  THINGS  ARE  SOMETIMES  DONE. 

'  IF  it  is  a  rule  of  the  Board,  that  no  Direc 
tor  shall  borrow  money  from  the  Bank,  what 
benefit  am  I  to  derive  from  being  one  of  said 


G2  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

Directors  ?"  asked  Riddell  of  the   President, 
shortly  after  his  election. 

"  You  will  understand  that  better  after 
a  while,"  replied  Partridge.  "  A  rule  of  this 
kind  is  a  very  important  one,  for  two  reasons 
To  the  public,  it  gives  the  impression  that  the 
Directors  can  have  no  control  over  the  funds 
of  the  bank  for  their  own  use,  and  thus  secures 
confidence.  And  it  is,  in  the  Board,  a  means 
of  restricting  accommodations  to  a  few  of 
the  Director,  who  are  shrewd  enough  to  get 
around  the  rule,  without  appearing  to  violate 
it." 

Riddell  was  silent  and  thoughtful  for  some 
moments.  The  eyes  of  Partridge  were  fixed 
intently  'upon  him. 

"  Do  you  understand  ?"  asked  the  latter, 
breaking  in,  at  length,  upon  the  young  man's 
reverie. 

"  I  believe  I  do,"  he  replied. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it  ?" 

"  The  Citizens1  Bank,  if  I  rightly  apprehend 
the  matter,  is  managed,  solely,  for  the  benefi; 
of  a  few,  and  not  for  the  many." 

"  Does  that  surprise  you  ?" 

"  It  ought  not,  I  suppose/' 
But  it  does." 

"  Not  greatly      I  was  aware  that  there  were 


HOW    THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE.         t>3 

wheels  within  wheels,  as  you  before  remarked  j 
but  I  own  that  when  I  came  to  see  these  wheels 
actually  in  motion,  things  appeared  a  little  dif 
ferent  from  what  I  had  expected." 

Mr.  Partridge  smiled. 

"  Every  man  must  take  care  of  himself  in 
this  world,  you  know,"  he  said. 

"  Yes.  Every  man  for  himself,  and  the 
devil  take  the  hindmost,"  replied  Riddell. 

"  Exactly  my  sentiments  ;  and  I  generally 
act  up  to  them.  You  don?t  suppose  I  would 
invest  so  large  a  sum  in  the  stock  of  this  bank, 
go  to  the  trouble  of  having  myself  elected  Pre 
sident,  and  look  as  narrowly  after  its  affairs  as 
I  intend  doing,  if  I  did  not  expect  to  reap  some 
benefit5" 

"  No,  1  did  not  suppose  any  such  thing." 

"  Of  course  not.  Men  are  not,  as  a  general 
thing,  so  wonderfully  devoted  to  the  public 
good  as  to  be  willing  to  sit  on  boards,  and  at 
tend  to  the  business  of  moneyed  institutions 
without  expecting  some  reward.  But,  you 
asked,  just  now,  what  benefit  you  were  to  derive 
from  being  a  director.  I  will  tell  you.  It  will 
put  it  into  your  power,  for  instance,  to  favor  a 
friend,  who,  in  time,  will  favor  you  in  some 
other  bank.  This  is  a  single  instance  of  the 
benefit  that  can  be  made  to  arise  to  you  from 
6* 


64  MAKING    HASTEl    TO    BE    RICH. 

your  new  position ;  a  fact  thai  I  thought  you 
perfectly  understood." 

"  So  I  did.  But,  from  some  things  you 
dropped,  1  was  led  to  infer  that  a  more  direct 
good  was  to  be  derived  from  my  position." 

"  Not  so  eager,  my  young  friend — not  so 
eager.  The  indirect  way  is  the  safest  and  the 
surest  in  the  end.  Money  is  never  to  be  picked 
up  in  the  streets.  A  plain  and  direct  way  is 
soon  filled  by  crowds.  The  indirect  way, 
which  few  know  to  exist,  and  fewer  still  have 
the  shrewdness  to  find,  and  having  found,  the 
aerve  to  walk  in,  is  the  best  way.  But  wait 
a  while.  I  have  some  undeveloped  schemes  in 
my  head.  At  the  right  time  I  will  divulge 
them,  if  I  think  I  can  depend  upon  you  as  a 
co-worker  in  carrying  them  out.  In  the  mean 
time,  be  content  to  use  the  facility  which  your 
position  as  a  bank  director  gives  you.  If  you 
play  your  cards  right,  you  can  easily  get  the 
use  of  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand  dollars." 

On  this  hint  Riddell  acted. 

"  Have  you  any  good  paper  to  offer,  Brad 
ley  r"  he  inquired  a  few  days  afterwards  of  a 
merchant  whom  he  know  to  be  a  director  in 
another  bank,  and  who  was  aware  that  be  held 
a  like  position  in  the  Citizen?  The  two  men 
were  on  intimate  terms. 


H9W  THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE          65 

*'  Yes,  plenty,"  was  replied.  "  Why  ? 
Can  you  push  it  through  your  bank  for  me  ?" 

"I  can  try." 

"  For  which  favor,  no  doubt,  you  would  like 
me  to  try  what  1  could  do  for  you,"  said  Brad 
ley,  smiling. 

"  If  it  can  be  done  as  well  as  not,"  returned 
Riddell,  affecting  indifference.  "  Bat  are  there 
not  three  or  four  impracticable  old  fellows  on 
your  board  :" 

"  Impracticable  at  tiires.     But  I  have  never 
found   any  difficulty   in  managing  them.     Do 
you  keep  an  account  in  our  bank  ?" 
>     "  No.     I  have  not  done  so  yet." 

"  You'd  better  open  one,  had'nt  you  ?" 

"  I  suppose  I  had." 

"  Do  it ;  and  when  you've  any  good  paper 
to  offer,  let  me  know,  and  I'll  work  it  through 
for  you.  In  the  meantime,  I  shall  take  advan 
tage  of  your  influence  in  the  Citizens',  as  long 
as  you  are  kind  enough  to  offer  to  stand  my 
friend  there." 

"  On  what  days  does  your  board  meet  ?' 
asked  Riddell. 

"  On  Tuesdays  and  Fridays." 

"  To-morrow  is  Tuesday.  I'll  make  a  de 
posit  of  a  thousand  dollars  to-day,  and  OD 


66  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

Thursday  I  will  throw  in  about  six  thousand 
dollais  of  good  business  paper." 

'*  City  paper  ?" 

"  About  one  half  of  it." 

"  You'd  better  get  another  name  on  thj 
country  paper." 

"  I  prefer  not  asking  any  one  to  become 
endorser  for  me." 

"  Mr.  Ackland's  name  would  go  through  our 
bank  without  a  question." 

u  No  doubt  of  that.  But  he  has  already 
paid,  and  assumed  to  pay,  of  his  own  accord, 
about  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  for  me,  and 
that  is  as  much  as  I  can  reasonably  ask  of 
him.  Nro  ;  I  wish  to  go  along,  for  the  present, 
independent  of  him.  The  paper  is  perfectly 
good." 

"  Where  is  it  payable  ?" 

"  Some  in  St.  Louis,  some  in  Cincinnati, 
some  in  Lexington,  and  some  in  Wheeling. 
My  name  ought  to  carry  it  through ;  espe 
cially  as  I  am  now  the  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Ack- 
land,  who  will  stand  by  me  if  I  should  happen 
to  get  into  any  difficulty.  This  is  to  be  taken 
into  consideration." 

"Very  true.  Well,  111  do  my  best  for  you; 
and  you  must  do  the  same  for  me." 


HOW    THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE.         67 

"  You  may  depend  upon  my  serving  you  to 
the  extent  of  my  ability." 

"  Are  you  on  good  terms  with  Partridge  ?" 
asked  Bradley. 

"  On  the  very  best  of  terms." 

"  All  right  then.  Just  give  him  a  hint  that 
you  want  such  and  such  paper  to  go  through, 
and  the  thing  is  done." 

Neither  Riddell  nor  Bradley  found  any  dif 
ficulty  in  pushing  through  the  paper  they 
wished  to  favor.  The  first,  operation  made, 
the  two  men  followed  it  up  with  others,  and 
Riddell  became  easy  again  in  money  matters  ; 
for  he  could,  without  any  difficulty,  turn  the 
bills  of  customers  into  cash,  through  the  inte 
rest  of  his  friend  Bradley. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  his  financiering 
operations,  and  on  the  strength  of  it  he  imme 
diately  extended  his  business ;  for  he  saw  that, 
by  a  similar  arrangement  with  directors  in  two 
or  three  other  banks,  he  could  always  get  as 
much  money  as  he  wanted. 

About  this  time  an  occurrence  took  place, 
that,  assailing  his  predominant  love,  tried  still 
farther  his  integrity  of  character.  A  customer 
from  the  country,  named  Wieland,  a  man  of 
honest  principles,  who  owed  him  ten  thousand 
dollars,  called  in  one  day,  and  bluntly  told  him 


*)8  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE-  RICH. 

that,  on  account  of  recent  heavy  losses,  he  was 
unable  to  meet  his  payments,  and,  on  settle 
ment  of  his  affairs,  would  not  be  able,  he  feared, 
to  pay  over  fifty  per  cent,  of  what  he  owed. 

"  That's  bad ;  very  bad,"  said  Riddell,  look 
ing  grave,  as  well  he  might ;  for  the  whole  of 
hia  customer's  paper  had  been  discounted,  and 
would  have  to  be  provided  for  by  himself. 

"  It  is  bad,  I  own,"  was  replied.  "  But 
what  can't  be  helped,  can't  be.  If  I  hadn't 
been  cheated  most  outrageously,  I  would  not 
have  been  in  my  present  condition.  But,  I  am 
here  to  arrange  for  an  assignment  for  the  mu 
tual  benefit  of  all.  I  wish  to  retain  nothing  for 
myself.  Let  my  business  be  closed  up,  and  all 
that  can  be  got  from  it  realized." 

Riddell  mused  for  some  time.  Then  he 
asked — 

"  Is  this  matter  known  to  your  other  credi 
tors  ?" 

"  No  I  have  come  to  you  first,  because  1 
owe  you  most." 

"  Very  well.  For  the  present,  say  nothing 
about  it.  Let  me  have  time  to  think  over  the 
matter.  It  is  a  pity  for  you  to  be  broken 
down,  if  there  is  any  hope  of  saving  you.  I 
dislike,  above  all  things,  to  see  a  merchant  fail. 
It  is  a  bad  precedent,  to  say  the  least  of  it  " 


HOW    THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE.       69 

u  I'm  afraid,  Mr.  Riddell,  that  my  case  is 
hopeless,"  said  the  debtor. 

"  No,  I  will  not  admit  that.  But  let  me 
have  twenty-four  hours  for  reflection.  Per 
haps  I  may  be  able  to  suggest  something 
Call  to-morrow,  at  this  time,  Mr.  Wieland  ; 
and  be  sure  not  to  mention  what  you  have  told 
me  to  any  one,  or  it  will  put  it  out  of  my 
power  to  serve  you,  as  1  feel  strongly  inclined 
to  do  " 

As  requested,  Wieland  called  on  the  next 
day.  Riddell  received  him  with  unexpected 
cheerfulness. 

"  I've  thought  about  you  a  good  deal  since 
you  were  here,"  he  said,  "  and  it  seems  to  me, 
that  you  ought  to  make  an  effort  to  struggle 
through.  You  are  a  man  of  business  habits, 
and  able  to  make  money  if  you  only  have  a 
chance.  But,  I  don't  believe  the  country  is 
the  place  for  you.  You  would  stand  a  far 
better  chance  here." 

"  In  this  city  !" 

"  Yes.     In  this  city.' 

Wieland  shook  his  head. 

"  I  know  you  would,"  said  Riddell  posi 
tively.  "  A  man  like  you  should  never  vege 
tate  in  the  country.  Take  my  advice,  and 
close  up  your  business  forthwith.  I  havo 


70  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

thought  it  all  over,  and  am  satisfied  that  it  is 
your  very  best  course.  I  will  extend  your  pay 
ments,  and  sell  you  as  freely  as  before.  This 
will  enable  you  to  meet  your  other  notes  and 
retain  your  credit  unimpaired." 

"  But  my  stock  will  not  sell  here.  It  is  foi 
another  market." 

"  That  must  be  sold  off.  Go  home,  and 
close  up  everything  in  the  quickest  possible 
time  ;  collect  as  close  as  you  can,  and  then 
come  here.  In  the  meantime  I  will  look  out 
for  a  good  store,  where  you  can  open  with  a 
fresh  stock  of  goods.  By  forcing  sales,  you 
will,  as  a  natural  consequence,  have  to  make 
sacrifices  ;  but  then  you  will  get  in  a  good  deal 
of  ready  cash,  the  importance  of  which  you 
know  as  well  as  myself." 

Wieland  was  not  carried  away  at  once  by  this 
proposition  ;  but  Riddell  met  every  objsction, 
and  pointed  out  the  advantages  of  a  city  over 
a  country  business,  in  such  strong  colors,  that 
he  at  last  yielded,  and  announced  his  intention 
of  closing  up  where  he  was  and  removing  to 
the  city.  To  every  one  who  alluded  to  the 
subject,  Riddell  spoke  in  terms  of  approval, 
and  said  that  Wieland  was  a  man  of  the  right 
stamp,  and  would  soon  make  his  weight  felt  in 
the  community 


HOW    THINGS    ARK    SOMETIMES    DONE         71 

When  Wieland  at  last  came,  Riddell  sold 
hitn  goods  freely,  and  others,  on  the  strength 
of  his  example,  did  ;hu  same.  For  four  or  five 
months,  the  victim,  for  such  in  reality  he  was 
to  be,  had  free  play,  and  then  Riddell  began 
to  draw  in  with  a  steady  hand.  He  required 
heavier  and  heavier  reduction  upon  each  re 
newal  of  the  old  account,  and  managed  to 
diminish  the  amount  of  sales  to  Wieland,  and 
drive  him  to  other  houses  for  the  purchase  of 
goods.  This  went  on  until,  finally,  Riddell 
declined  selling  him  at  all,  but  was  very  care 
ful  not  to  let  a  whisper  of  the  fact  get  wind. 

The  cause  of  this  change  Wieland  could  not 
at  first  understand.  He  was  too  honest  him 
self  to  suspect  the  real  truth,  and  hurt  that  one 
who  had  so  befriended  him,  and  towards  whom 
he  entertained  such  a  lively  feeling  of  gratitude, 
should,  from  any  cause,  alter  the  good  opinion 
he  had  once  held.  What  added  still  more  to 
the  pain  he  felt,  was  the  fact,  that  he  was  get 
ting  once  more  embarrassed,  and  could  not  see 
clearly  his  way  through  his  difficulties.  Half 
of  the  amount  originally  due  Riddell  had  been 
paid,  and  the  new  indebtedness  was  but  small, 
the  bulk  of  Wieland 's  purchases,  for  over  si* 
months,  having  been  from  other  houses. 

Painful  as  it  was,  poor  Wieland.  no 
7 


72  MA  KIN  .i    HASTE    TO    BF.    RICH. 

long  time  after  Riddell  had  virtually  refused  to 
credit  him  any  longer,  was  obliged  to  ask  an 
extension  of  the  entire  balance  of  the  old  in 
debtedness,  which  stood  at  five  thousand  dol 
lars. 

"  Renew  the  whole  !  It  is  out  of  the  ques 
tion,  Mr.  Wieland,"  replied  Riddell,  expressing 
surprise  at  such  a  proposition.  "  The  fact  is, 
I  am  so  pressed  for  money,  that  I  don't  see 
how  I  can  help  you  at  all.  Your  note  is  dis 
counted,  and,  therefore,  beyond  my  control. 
I  was  compelled  to  realize  on  it.  It  is  un» 
fortunate,  but  there  is  no  help  for  it." 

"  You  know  that  I  can't  pay  the  whole 
amount  of  your  note,  Mr.  Riddell,"  said  the 
distressed  debtor. 

"  How  should  I  know  it^  But  that  is  nei 
ther  here  nor  there.  The  paper  has  been  dis 
counted,  and  I  shall  not  be  able  to  lift  it." 

"  You  can  get  my  note  through  bank  again." 

"  While  this  remains  unpaid,  it  would  be 
folly  to  offer  your  paper  again." 

"  If  I  can  succeed  in  borrowing  the  amount 
required,"  said  Wieland,  after  thinking  hur 
riedly  for  a  moment,  "  would  you  be  willing, 
after  the  present  note  is  lifted,  to  offer  another 
for,  say,  four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars, 
and  hand  me  the  proceeds  ?" 


HOW    THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE.       73 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  prompt  answer. 

"  Is  there  a  reasonable  hope  that  the  dis- 
will  be  obtained  ?" 

"  I  think  so." 

"  It  will  not  do  to  have  any  uncertainty  in  a 
matter  like  this,  Mr.  Riddell." 

"  I  can  obtain  the  money  on  your  note 
without  doubt.  I  always  get  what  I  ask  for." 

With  this  assurance,  Wieland  borrowed j  from 
various  sources,  enough  to  lift  his  note.  On 
the  day  after  it  was  taken  up,  he  called  upon 
Riddell  with  a  new  note  at  sixty  days  for  four 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

"  When  will  it  be  done  r"  he  asked. 

"  The  discount  day  in  the  bank  where  I  in 
tend  offering  it,  is  day  after  to-morrow." 

"  On  Saturday,  then,  I  can  get  the  money  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  presume  so." 

There  was  something  in  Riddell's  manner 
that  Wieland  did  not  like.  After  he  went  out, 
the  "  enterprising "  young  merchant  laid  the 
note  carefully  away  in  a  great  pocket-book, 
where  it  remained,  undisturbed,  until  Saturday 
morning.  Wieland  came  in  about  nine  o'clock 
with  a  look  of  anxiety  on  his  face. 

"  Have   you  got  the  money  for   me,  Mr 
Riddell,"  he  said 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  no,  Mr.  Wieland,''  was 


74  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

replied.  "  Most  unexpectedly  to  me,  your 
note  was  thrown  out.  One  of  the  directors,  to 
whom  I  complained  of  the  matter,  said  that 
the  offerings  yesterday  were  three  times  as  large 
as  they  could  venture  to  discount." 

Poor  Wieland  became  very  pale,  and  with  a 
feeling  of  hopelessness,  dropped  into  a  chair. 

"  Two-thirds  of  the  amount  boriowed  must 
be  returned  to-day,"  he  said.  "  It  is  positively 
promised." 

"  I'm  sorry;  but  cannot  help  it,"  coldly  res 
ponded  Riddell. 

"  Two  thousand  belong  to  Bradford  and 
Jordan.  Jordan  let  me  have  it  on  the  express 
assurance  that  I  would  return  it.  this  morning 
He  said  it  was  money  that  had  been  accumu 
lating  for  some  time  to  pay  a  note  given  for 
machinery  that  falls  due  to-day.  I  would  not 
fail  in  my  promise  for  the  world.  It  might 
prove  their  ruin." 

"  That's  bad,"  remarked  Riddell,  "  very 
bad.  Jordan  did  uot  act  wisely." 

"  He  acted  on  the  strength  of  your  assurance 
to  me  that  my  note  would  be  discounted." 

"  But  didn't  he  know,  and  didn't  you  know, 
that  no  positive  calculation  is  to  be  made  on  a 
discount  in  bank J  I  could  only  offer  your 


HOW    THINGS    ARE    SOMETIMES    DONE.       75 

note  ;  I  could  not  compel  its  passage  through 
the  board." 

"  Will  you  offer  it  again  r"  asked  Wieland. 

"  Yes,"  was  replied  indifferently.  "  I  have 
no  objection  to  try  it  for  you  again  ;  but  1  have 
my  doubts  of  being  able  to  get  it  done.  Money 
has  become  scarce  all  at  once." 

"  Mr.  Riddell,"  said  the  unfortunate  man, 
speaking  with  emphasis,  "  you  must  not  leave 
me  in  this  unhappy  predicament.  You  must 
not  suffer  me  to  become  the  instrument  of  ruin 
to  those  who  have  generously  assisted  me  in 
paying  my  indebtedness  to  you.  Doubtless 
you  can,  if  you  will,  lend  me  at  least  enough  to 
return  the  amount  borrowed  of  Bradford  and 
Jordan,  and  repay  yourself  when  my  note  is 
discounted." 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Riddell,  with  the 
air  of  a  man  who  felt  offended,  "  the  right  you 
have  to  apeak  in  this  way  to  me.  I  have  done 
all  I  promised  to  do,  and  that  is  everything  you 
have  to  expect." 

"  You  will  not,  then,  lend  me  enough  to 
return  what  is  due  to  Bradford  and  Jordan  ?" 
gaid  Wieland. 

"  I  have  use  for  all  my  money,"  was  returned 
coldly. 

"  Mr.  Riddell,"  said  the  distressed,  yet  in- 


~i6  jtfAiUNU    HASTE     TO    BE    RICH. 

dignant  Wieland,  wlio  felt  that  ho  was  betrayed, 
wt  if  1  am  made  the  instrument  of  injury  to  these 
men,  you  will  be  the  guilty  cause." 

"  Mr.  Wieland,"  returned  Riddell,  opening 
his  desk  as  he  spoke  and  taking  therefrom  a 
slip  of  paper,  "  here  is  your  note  ;  take  it. 
The  thanks  I  get  for  having  stood  your  friend, 
is  insult." 

"  God  help  all  who  expect  to  live  by  your 
friendship,"  replied  Wieland  with  bitterness, 
as  he  took  the  little  piece  of  paper  and  looked 
at  it  attentively  for  a  moment.  "  It  is  all  plain 
now.  My  note  has  never  been  in  bank." 

"  It  is  false  !"  exclaimed  Riddell,  while  a 
flush  that  betrayed  his  perfidy  mantled  his  face. 

"  I  have  double  evidence  of  what  I  affirm," 
replied  Wieland,  looking  sternly  upon  the  man 
who  had  held  him  up  until  he  'could  secure  his 
own,  and  then  let  him  fall  without  a  sigh  over 
his  ruin.  "  Basely  betrayed  !"  he  added — 
"  basely  betrayed ;  and  under  the  guise  of 
sympathy  !" 

"  Will  you  please  to  leave  my  store,  sir, 
said  Riddell,  recovering  his  self-possession. 

Wieland  hesitated  a  moment,  as  if  he  were 
about  to  add  something  more  ;  but  feeling,  per 
haps,  the  utter  folly  of  giving  further  vent  to 
what  was  in  his  mind,  he  turned  away  quickly 


INJURY    TO    AN    OLD    FRIEND.  77 

and  left  the  store.  As  he  retired,  Riddell  mut 
tered  : 

"  That's  all  over.  My  ten  thousand  dollars 
are  safe.  Let  others  look  to  their  own  inte 
rests.  I'm  sorry  for  my  old  friend  Jordan ;  but 
I  can't  help  it.  He  should  know  better  than 
to  lend  so  much  money  to  a  man  about  whose 
real  standing  he  knew  nothing.  But  it's  like 
him." 

He  did  not  name  Bradford,  even  mentally  ; 
but  rather  forced  himself  not  to  think  of  him 
at  all.  Heartless  as  he  was,  he  could  not  bear 
the  thought  of  Anne's  father  to  come  into  his 
mind,  and  with  it,  the  consciousness  that,  in 
securing  his  own  selfish  ends,  he  had  again 
doue  him  an  injury. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

INJURY    TO    AN    OLD    FRIEND. 

c  DOES  Wieland  owe  you  anything  ?"  asked  a 
neighbor,  coming  into  Riddell's  store,  two  or 
three  days  after  the  occurrence  mentioned  at 
the  close  of  the  last  chapter  had  taken  place. 
"  Not  a  dollar  " 


78  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

•'  Indeed  !  I  thought  he  was  into  you  deepei 
than  into  any  one  else." 

"  Has  he  gone  by  the  board  ?" 

"  Yes.  He  stopped  yesterday  ;  and  owes,  J 
am  told,  six  or  eight  thousand  dollars  borrowed 
money." 

"So  much?" 

"  And  what  is  worse,  has  made  no  provision 
for  it.  "I  loaned  him  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
last  week;  and  Bradford  and  Jordan  loaned 
him  two  thousand.  We  shall,  I  fear,  not  get 
a  cent.  I  am  more  sorry  for  Bradford  and 
Jordan  than  for  myself.  They  had  enlarged 
their  manufactory,  by  the  addition  of  new  and 
more  extensive  machinery,  for  a  part  of  which 
their  note  was  out  and  due  last  Saturday.  The 
two  thousand  loaned  to  Wieland  had  been  laid 
by  to  meet  the  note.  At  theMast  moment, 
Wieland  informed  them  that  he  could  not  re 
turn  what  he  had  borrowed.  There  was  no  re 
source,  and  the  note  laid  over.  I  am  afraid  it 
will  go  hard  with  them.  Wieland  tells  some 
cock-and-a-bull  story  about  your  disappointing 
him  in  a  discount,  but  nobody  believes  him." 

"Humph!  Does  he  indeed!"  with  an  air 
of  contempt.  "  So  much  for  trying  to  obligo 
the  man.  1  offered  a  note  for  him  last  Friday, 
but  it  was  thrown  out.  The  next  time  I  do  a 


INJURY    TO    AN    OLD    FRIEND.  79 

good  turn  for  any  one,  he  will  appreciate  it. 
And  so  he  has  really  bursted  up.  Well,  it's  no 
more  than  I  have  been  expecting  for  some  time 
I  knew  he  would  ruin  himself,  when  he  was  so 
foolish  as  to  come  to  the  city." 

"  I  understand  that  he  says  you  advised  him 
to  come." 

"  I  advised  him  ?  Preposterous !  Why 
should  I  advise  him  ?" 

"  When  a  man  fails,  he  very  naturally  tries 
to  throw  the  blame  on  somebody." 

"  Of  course.  Well,  let  him  talk.  It  will 
harm  no  one  in  the  end,  and  may  be  some  re 
lief  to  him." 

"  It  wont  pay  me  my  fifteen  hundred  dol 
lars,  though.  If  I  were  as  clear  of  him  as  you 
are,  he  might  talk  about  me  until  doomsday." 

"  Words  break  no  bones.    Poor  devil !    Our 
city  trade  used  him  up  in  double  quick  time 
How  much  will  he  divide  ?" 

"  Not  twenty  cents  on  the  dollar." 

"  Where  has  every  thing  gone  ?" 

"  Gracious  knows  It's  gone ;  and  that  is 
all  that  will  ever  be  known,  I'm  thinking." 

"  He  may  have  taken  care  of  himself,"  was 
the  outrageous  suggestion  of  Riddell. 

"No,"  replied  the  mercantile  friend,  "I 
will  not  believe  that.  Wieland  may  hava 


80  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

erred,  may  have  done  business  blindly — madly, 
if  you  will — but  he  is  no  deliberate  villain 
Any  man  of  common  observation  will  tell  you 
that." 

"  I  hope  not,"  was  returned  in  tones  that  in 
volved  a  doubt. 

Poor  Wieland  had  indeed  failed,  as  Riddell 
knew  he  must.  He  had  lured  him  to  the  city 
by  false  promises,  with  the  sole  end  of  holding 
him  up  until  he  could  get  his  ten  thousand  dol 
lars,  and  then  letting  him  fall  with  a  crash,  indif 
ferent  who  might  suffer,  so  he  secured  his  own. 
He  had  succeeded  in  his  iniquitous  scheme  but 
too  well.  Others  were  induced  to  credit  Wie 
land  through  his  example,  and  to  continue  the 
credit,  even  while  he  was  steadily  and  rapidly 
withdrawing  his  sustaining  arms  from  around 
his  unfortunate  debtor.  From  fifty  to  sixty 
per  cent,  of  their  claims  would  have  been  real 
ized  by  all  the  creditors  of  Wieland,  had  he 
closed  up  business  at  the  time  he  proposed  do 
ing  so,  and  he  could  have  obtained  light  credits 
still  enabling  him  to  start  again  in  a  small  way, 
and  support  his  family.  But  as  it  was,  through 
losses  sustained  in  forcing  off  his  old  stock,  by 
the  payment  of  Riddell  cent  per  cent  of  the 
amount  due  him,  and  from  other  causes  attend 
ant  upon  his  embarrassed  position,  he  was  not 


INJUR1T    TO    AN    OLD    FRiEND.  81 

nbla  to  divide  among  his  creditors  over  eigh 
teen  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  retired  from  view 
hopelessly  ruined,  and  with  tho  smiting  consci 
ousness  that  he  had  suffered  himself  to  be  duped 
to  the  injury  of  the  great  bulk  of  his  creditors. 

Among  these  was  the  father  of  Anne  Brad 
ford,  and  the  old  friend  of  Riddell,  who  lost 
over  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  money  loaned  to 
go  into  the  pocket  of  the  young  "  enterprising" 
money-maMng  merchant. 

About  a  year  after  Jordan  became  the  hus- 
ban  1  of  Maria  Bradford,  the  father  of  his  wife 
proposed  to  the  young  man  to  give  up  his  situ 
ation  as  a  clerk,  invest  a  thousand  dollars  that 
he  had  saved  in  his  business,  and  join  him  as 
partner  in  its  labor  and  profit.  After  due  de 
liberation  Jordan  accepted  the  offer,  and  took 
charge  of  the  buying  and  selling  department, 
while  Mr.  Bradford  gave  his  entire  attention 
to  the  manufactory.  The  good  results  of  this 
system  were  soon  apparent  in  a  greater  produc 
tiveness  at  the  mill,  and  better  sales  of  what 
was  made.  The  young  man,  in  his  thorough 
acquaintance  with  merchandising,  brought  into 
the  establishment  just  what  was  needed,  and 
loft  Mr.  Bradford,  who  was  fit  for  a  manufac 
turer,  and  nothing  else,  to  centre  all  his 
thoughts  upon  his  cards,  spindbs.  and  looms. 


82  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

The  first  and  second  years  of  this  new  sys 
tem  showed  most  encouraging  results,  and  gava 
to  Jordan  an  actual  profit  in  the  business  of 
over  two  thousand  dollars.  At  the  end  of  the 
third  year,  they  ventured  upon  considerable, 
improvements,  and  the  introduction  of  new, 
better,  and  more  extensive  machinery.  Pay 
ing  for  these  kept  them  very  close,  but  they 
managed  everything  with  such  prudence,  and 
looked  a-head  with  such  nice  forethought,  thai 
all  would  have  come  out  right,  but  for  the  un 
fortunate  loan  to  Wieland,  which  came  very 
near  breaking  them  down,  small  a  matter  as  it 
might  appear  to  be.  Like  most  of  those  around 
them,  a  good  credit  was  the  main-stay  of  their 
business.  They  made  their  heaviest  purchases 
of  raw  material  on  time,  and  as  they  had  never 
asked  an  extension  nor  a  loan  of  money  from 
any  of  the  merchants  with  whom  they  dealt, 
their  credit  was  good  to  double  the  amount  for 
which  they  used  it.  For  nearly  a  month  be 
fore  the  due  day  of  the  last  note  given  for  ma 
chinery,  amounting  to  two  thousand  dollars,  the 
money  for  lifting  it  had  been  in  bank.  Two  or 
three  days  before  the  payment  was  to  be  made, 
Wieland,  with  whom  Jordan  had  become  ac- 
juainted,  pressed  hard  for  a  temporary  loan, 
assuring  the  latter  that  on  the  day  he  had  use 


INJURY    TO    AN    OLD    FRIEND.  83 

for  the  money,  he  would  receive  between  four 
and  five  thousand  dollars.  Knowing  nothing 
of  Wieland's  peculiar  circumstances,  and  not 
doubting  in  the  hast  that  he  would  be  perfectly 
able  to  return  the  amount,  Jordan  loaned  him 
two  thousand  dollars. 

After  the  dreadful  discovery  made  by  Wie- 
laud  that  Riddell  had  betrayed  him  into  bor 
rowing  five  thousand  dollars  to  lift  his  note,  and 
then  deserted  him,  he  lost  his  presence  of  mind, 
and  so  clearly  exhibited  the  distress  he  felt, 
that  all  to  whom  he  applied  for  loans  to  enable 
him  to  replace  the  sum  due  Bradford  and  Jor 
dan,  took  the  alarm,  and  deemed  it  prudent  to 
be  very  short  of  funds.  Half  distracted,  at 
two  o'clock  he  called  upon  Jordan,  who  had 
several  times  sent  to  him  during  the  day,  and, 
almost  with  tears  related  the  story  of  his  cruel 
disappointment.  The  pressing  nature  of  Jor 
dan's  own  affairs,  left  him  no  time  to  sympa 
thize  with  Wieland.  He  called  upon  one  or 
two  of  their  customers,  and  tried  to  borrow 
enough  to  lift  the  note,  but  failed  in  obtaining 
more  than  a  frw  hundred  dollars.  The  holder 
of  the  paper  did  not  live  in  the  city,  and  no 
application  could,  therefore,  be  made  to  him 
to  have  it  withdrawn  from  the  bank.  There 
was  no  help  for  it.  The  note  had  to  lie  over 
8 


84  MAKING    HA6TE    TO    BE    fUCH. 

« 

and  be  protested.  This  was  of  course  soon 
known,  and  further  credit  immediately  refused 
by  their  old  friends.  In  this  strait,  Mr.  Brad 
ford  went  to  a  firm  with  which  he  had  been 
doing  business  for  twenty  years,  and  gave  the 
senior  partner  therein  a  plain  history  of  the 
matter,  which  was  clearly  understood.  Money 
was  advanced  to  lift  the  dishonored  paper,  and 
such  specific  representations  made  in  the  quar 
ters  desired  as  restored  confidence,  and  Brad 
ford  and  Jordan  went  on  as  usual,  the  latter 
resolved  in  future  to  look  a  little  more  nar 
rowly  into  what  he  was  doing. 

It  was  thus,  in  the  eager  spirit  of  gain  which 
ruled  him,  that  Riddell,  seeking  to  get  his  own, 
utterly  regardless  of  others'  interests,  came 
nearly  dashing  his  early  friend  to  the  earth,  and 
adding  another  injury  to  the  deeper  one  Mr. 
Bradford  had  already  sustained  at  his  hands. 
He  knew  all  this,  and  could  have  wished  it 
otherwise,  but  it  did  not  trouble  him  very 
deeply.  He  had  managed  to  save  himself  from 
loss,  and,  in  doing  this,  attained  his  highest 
wish  in  the  matter.  Moreover,  he  thought 
himself  shrewder,  and  more  wide  awake  than  his 
neighbors,  and  indulged  a  little  quiet  exultation 
in  the  thought.  As  to  the  doubtful  integrity 
involved  in  the  matter,  that  never  occurred  to 


.NEW    A*-J>    BOLDER    SCHEMV.S.  Hi) 

him.  The  cloctrim  that  "all  is  fair  in  trade," 
he  thought  a  very  good  one,  and  generally  acted 
np  to  its  spirit ;  and  the  motto,  "  Every  one  for 
himself,"  was  mentally  repeated  almost  daily 
Thus  was  his  ruling  love  entering  more  and 
more  into  his  thoughts  and  acts,  and  overshadow 
ing  and  holding  in  subjection  all  other  affec 
tions  of  the  mind  not  in  agreement  therewith 


CHAPTER  IX. 

NEW  AND    BOLDER  SCHEMES. 

INSTEAD  of  tracing  the  course  of  Riddell, 
step  by  step,  during  the  first  five  years  that 
elapsed  after  his  marriage,  we  will  pass  over 
that  period  of  time,  and  see  what  progress  he 
has  made.  When  we  left  him,  he  was  doing 
business  to  the  amount  of  about  sixty  thousand 
dollars  a  year  ;  now  his  annual  sales  are  not 
less  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  and  he 
is  looked  upon,  by  some,  as  one  of  the  most 
shrewd,  enterprising,  and  fortunate  merchants 
in  the  city.  His  style  of  living  is  costly  and 
elegant,  and  he  gives,  every  year,  two  or  three 
brilliant  entertainments.  But  we  will  look 


86  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

deeper  than  the  surface.  We  will  go  with  him 
behind  the  scenes,  and  let  the  reader  see  the 
wheels  and  ropes  by  which  the  beautiful  and 
attractive  movements  designed  for  the  public 
eye  are  made. 

Those  who  closely  observed  Mr.  Riddell  at 
this  time,  saw  that,  amid  all  his  prosperity,  he 
was  far  from  having  a  quiet  spirit.  At  home, 
there  was  no  sweet  fireside  circle  ;  for  matters 
of  business  so  engrossed  his  thoughts  and  his 
time,  that  he  rarely  spent  an  hour,  day  or  even 
ing,  with  his  wife,  who  loving  -him  devotedly, 
pined  for  some  more  marked  return  of  love 
than  she  ever  received.  It  was  evident  that  he 
rarely  thought  of  the  dear  ones  at  home  ;  his 
affection  was  not  there,  and  where  the  love  is 
not,  you  will  rarely  find  the  thought.  Money 
projects — gain,  gain,  gain — engrossed  every 
power  of  his  mind.  And  yet,  his  wife  was  beau 
tiful,  accomplished,  and  devotedly  attached  to 
him,  and  his  two  children  were  as  sweet  young 
creatures  as  a  father  could  wish  to  fold  joyfully 
in  his  arms.  But  where  money  is  the  God  we 
serve,  there  can  be  no  divided  worship.  The 
man  who  is  making  haste  to  be  rich,  has  neither 
time  nor  taste  for  pure  domestic  joys.  Even 
while  he  sits  by  his  wife,  or  holds  his  prattling 
boy  upon  his  knee,  he  is  thinking  of  the  ways 


NEW    AND    BOLDER    SCHEMES.  87 

and  means  of  getting  gold  And  thus  it  was 
with  Riddell.  Instead  of  being  satisfied  with 
the  gain  of  this  year,  he  was  sagely  anticipating 
the  increased  gain  of  the  next.  What  he  had, 
was  lightly  esteemed,  except  as  the  means  of 
helping  him  to  get  what  he  had  not. 

In  "  financiering"  matters,  Riddell  had  gone 
pretty  deeply,  and  these  were  occupying  a 
larger  portion  of  his  thoughts ;  more  than 
could  well  be  spared  from  his  business.  Be 
sides  being  director  in  a  bank,  he  had  become 
President  in  an  Insurance  Company,  that  dealt 
in  post-notes  pretty  extensively,  and  more  or 
less  intimately  connected  with  several  money 
schemes  that  had  but  little  intrinsic  regard  to 
the  public  good,  although  apparently  originated 
for  no  other  end.  All  these  he  made  subser 
vient,  as  far  as  it  lay  in  his  power  to  do  so,  tc 
his  own  interest.  Partridge  he  had  found  a 
shrewd  schemer,  and  as  bold  as  shrewd  ;  walking 
erect  when  few  men  would  venture  to  creep  : 
and  he  trodc  fearlessly  by  his  side,  more  the 
tool  of  the  older  and  deeper  schemer,  than  he 
for  a  single  moment  imagined. 

One  day,  about  the  time  we  introduce  Rid 
dell  again  to  the  reader,  he  sate  in  the  private 
room  of  Partridge,  after  dinner,  engaged  in 

earnest  conversation,  with  the  individual  who 
8* 


88  MAKING    II AST H    Tt     BE    RICH 

had  initiated  him  into  tho  mysteries  of  "  finau- 
ciering." 

"  There  is  one  thing  that  you  must  do,  Rid- 
djll,"  said  Partridge  ;  "  it  ought  to  have  been 
done  years  ago." 

"  What  is  that  ?" 

"  Assume  more  style." 

"  It  costs  me,  now,  five  or  six  thousand  dol 
lars  a  year  to  live." 

a  No  matter.  Build  or  buy  a  fine  house, 
and  let  some  noise  be  made  about  it.  This 
will  impress  the  public  more  deeply  with  your 
substantiality  than  anything  you  can  do.  The 
reputation  of  having  made  a  handsome  fortune 
in  so  short  a  time,  will  give  you  a  credit  far 
beyond  what  you  now  enjoy,  and,  of  course,  the 
use  of  money  ad  libitum." 

"  But  think  how  much  actual  money  a  splen 
did  house  and  a  corresponding  style  of  living 
will  eat  up.  That  must  also  be  taken  into  the 
account." 

"  I  am  perfectly  aware  of  this.  But,  don't 
you  know  that  you  can  get  back  the  major 
part  of  your  money  by  mortgaging  your  house, 
a  fact  that  one  in  a  hundred  will  not  know 
You  may  depend  upon  it,  Riddell,  it  is  of  the 
first  importance  to  you  to  put  forth  as  many 
palpable  evidences  of  wealth  as  possible.  You 


NEW    AND    BOLDER    .SCHEMES.  89 

know  that  everything  depends  upon  your  sus 
taining  an  unimpaired  credit.  Let  a  breath  of 
suspicion  blow  upon  that  at  any  time  within  the 
next  five  years — for  it  will  take  at  least  that 
time  for  you  to  make  your  large  credit  rest  upon 
a  real  basis — and  you  are  gone." 

"  Of  that,  Mr.  Partridge,  I  am  too  well  con 
vinced,"  replied  Riddcll,  with  some  seriousness 
of  manner.  "  I  sometimes  think  it  would  have 
turned  out  better  for  me  in  the  end,  if  I  had 
kept  my  business  within  a  safer  limit,  and  been 
content  with  getting  rich  more  slowly  as  well 
as  more  surely  !" 

"  You  remember  that  I  cautioned  you  in  the 
beginning,  of  the  danger  you  would  have  to 
encounter,"  said  Partridge. 

11 1  know.  But  I  was  of  too  impatient  a 
temper  to  plod  along  slowly,  adding  cent  to 
cent  and  dollar  to  dollar,  like  the  mass  around 
me.  Money,  I  knew,  was  to  be  made  rapidly, 
by  those  who  had  the  foresight,  the  skill,  and 
the  boldness  to  work  with  the  material  that 
was  around  them." 

"  It  will  not  do  to  look  back  now,  Riddell. 
Keep  your  eyes  steadily  in  advance,  and  watch 
narrowly  the  whole  troop  of  approaching  cir 
cumstances,  or  you  will  trip  in  a  moment  when 
you  least  dream  that  an  obstruction  lies  iu  youi 


90  MAKING'  HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

path.  You  have  walked  with  steady  steps 
thus  far  ;  do  not  falter  now.  " 

"  Don't  misunderstand  me,"  said  Riddell, 
speaking  in  a  different  tone.  u  1  have  really 
no  wish  to  look  back.  I  spoke  from  a  momen 
tary  impression." 

"  Send  back,  instantly,  all  such  impressions 
from  whence  they  came.  You  must  not,  now, 
doubt,  hesitate,  or  fear,  for  the  space  of  an  in 
stant.  You  are  treading  a  narrow  path,  but 
there  is  an  El  Dorado  at  its  termination. 
Think  of  this,  hope,  and  be  strong.  Take  my 
advice,  and  build  yourself  a  splendid  mansion. 
Set  about  it  at  once.  First  purchase  a  good 
lot,  and  I'll  get  Gray  to  notice  in  his  paper  the 
fact  that  '  Franklin  Riddell,  Esq.,  one  of  our 
wealthy  and  enterprising  merchants,  has  just 

bought  that  eligible  site  for  a  dwelling  in 

street,  and  intends  erecting  thereon,  immedi 
ately,  a  splendid  mansion,  that  will  be  an  orna 
ment  to  our  city.'  This  will  have  its  effect. 
Then  let  your  builder  go  to  work,  and  as  speed 
ily  as  possible  get  the  shell  above  ground,  and 
BO  far  advanced  that  the  design  can  be  seen. 
Another  blast  through  Gray's  newspaper,  will 
tell,  wonderfully,  at  this  stage  of  affairs.  De 
pend  upon  it,  that  by  the  time  your  elegant 
residence  is  completed,  and  you  ready  to  take 


NEW    AND    BOLDER    SCI. EMUS.  91 

possession,  with  your  family,  your  name  will  be 
good  for  just  as  much  money  as  you  may  hap 
pen  to  want." 

"But  are  there  not  men  in  the  community 
who  have  shrewdness  enough  to  see  through  all 
this?" 

"  Yes.  And  men  who  will  see  through  it 
all ;  and,  what  is  more,  express  their  opinions 
freely." 

'*  And  ruin  all." 

"  Very  far  from  it.  Few,  if  any,  will  believe 
them.  Your  architect,  your  builder,  your 
workmen,  will  be  paid  promptly ;  and  this  can 
not  be  done  without  money.  The  fact  that  the 
money  is  forthcoming  at  every  demand  will  be 
sufficient  evidence  of  your  ability.  All  that 
you  have  to  do,  is  to  be  very  sure  that  the 
channel  through  which  the  money  comes  is  not 
seen.  Mere  talk  does  no  harm.  Mere  suspicion 
hurts  no  one's  credit.  But  once  let  the  narrow 
basis  upon  which  the  latter  rests  be  seen,  and 
a  breath  may  destroy  it.  The  deeper  and  more 
concealed  we  work,  the  more  surely  will  our 
ends  be  accomplished." 

"  But  taere  is  one  thing  to  be  considered," 
said  Riddcll,  who  was  beginning  to  see  tilings 
less  clearly  than  before.  In  fact,  Partridge  had 
carried  him  on  so  rapidly  for  some  time,  that 


92  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

he  had  been  unable  to  take  accurate  observation 
of  the  way  along  which  he  had  come,  nor  fully 
to  understand  the  nature  of  the  ground  upon 
which  he  was  standing.  "  But  there  is  one 
thing  to  be  considered.  Money,  as  you  justly 
say,  must  be  forthcoming,  if  I  go  to  building. 
Forty,  fifty,  or  sixty  thousand  dollars,  abstracted 
from  my  present  business  and  money  opera 
tions,  will  inevitably  swamp  me,  unless  some 
new  and  enlarged  sources  for  the  attainment  of 
capital  be  opened.'' 

"  I  am  aware  of  that.  But  your  ability  to 
get  capital  may  be  enlarged." 

"How?" 

''  Let  me  divulge  a  new  scheme  over  which 
I  have  been  pondering  for  some  months.  I 
shall  need  your  co-operation ;  but  that  co 
operation  will  give  you  just  what  you  want, 
larger  money-facilities.  Are  you  prepared  for 
a  bolder  step  than  any  yet  taken  r" 

11 1  am,  if  it  gives  ordinary  promise  of  a  rich 
harvest." 

"  You  shall  judge  for  yourself.  You  are 
aware  that  the  Eagleton  Bank  failed  two  yeara 
ago,  and  that  its  stock  is  not  worth  five  dollars 
a  share  ?" 

«  Yes." 

"  Its  charter  remains  inviolate,  and  is  per- 


NEW    AND    BOLDEtt    SCHEMES.  93 

pctual.  Luckily,  no  clause  making  the  suspen 
sion  of  specie  payment  a  forfeiture,  was  intro 
duced.  Now,  1  propose  to  unite  with  you  and 
two  or  three  others  upon  whom  we  can  fully 
calculate,  and  get  the  whole  of  this  stock  into 
our  possession.  The  capital  is  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  As  soon  as  we  commence 
buying  up  the  depreciated  scrip,  it  will  begin 
to  rise,  but  will  not  reach  above  twenty  dollars 
a  share  before  we  have  nearly  all  of  it  in  our 
hands.  So  that,  for  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  we  can  get  possession  of  the  bank,  and 
set  it  going  once  more.  Eagleton,  you  know, 
is  a  hundred  miles  from  here,  with  a  stage  route 
nearly  the  whole  way.  Little  or  no  business  is 
done  in  the  neighborhood.  In  fact  a  bank  waa 
never  wanted  there.  As  a  natural  consequence, 
the  issue  of  bills  would  find  a  circulation  at  a 
distance  ;  the  largest  amount  in  this  city,  where 
we  could  have  such  arrangements  for  redemp 
tion,  as  would  keep  it  from  finding  its  way, 
except  in  small  quantities,  to  Eagleton.  A 
specie  basis  of  ten  thousand  dollars  would  bo 
ample.  All  the  officers  needed  would  be  a 
president  and  cashier,  and  these  we  could  select 
and  send  down.  They  would  be,  of  couise, 
men  whom  we  could  bind  to  us  by  interest.  1 
know  where  to  put  my  hand  upon  them.  It 


34  MAKING    HASfE     TO    BE    KICH. 

would  take  a  short  time  to  establish  confidence 
iu  the  bank,  but  there  are  ways  of  doing  that. 
As  soon,  however,  as  the  notes  of  the  Eagleton 
Bank  began  to  go  freely,  we  would  begin  to 
derive  a  benefit,  for  we  would  be  the  real  is 
suers  of  them." 

"  But  you  forget,"  said  Riddell,  "  that  the 
moment  the  bank  resumes,  the  old  note  hold 
ers  and  depositors  will  come  in.'' 

"No;  I  don't  forget  that,"  replied  Par 
tridge.  "  There  were  not  five  thousand  dol 
lars  on  deposit  when  the  bank  failed.  It  had 
been  run  upon  by  depositors  for  a  week  before 
it  suspended.  Of  this  amount  one  half  has 
since  been  paid." 

"  But  there  was  a  large  circulation  out  at 
the  time." 

"  Not  so  large  as  many  supposed.  Four- 
fifths  of  it  were  bought  up  at  a  discount  by  those 
who  owed  the  bank,  and  paid  in  in  liquidation 
of  the  dues  against  them  :  so  that  but  a  small 
balance  is  out.  Now  look  at  the  other  side. 
For  twenty  thousand  dollars  we  get  stock,  worth 
at  par  value,  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
By  proper  management,  this  scrip  may  bo 
made  to  stand  in  the  stock  market  at  from 
eighty  cents  to  par,  thus  affording  collateral 
security  for  loans  nearly  equal  to  the  moneyed 


NEW    AND    BOLDER    SCHEMES  95 

value  of  the  whole  capital  of  the  bank  —say  at 
least  ono  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
You  know  what  you  can  do  in  this  way,  and  so 
do  I.  Besides,  it  will  be  possible  to  get  out 
the  bills  of  the  bank  to  a  large  amount.  My 
calculation  is,  to  push  the  circulation  until  it 
reaches  half  a  million.  The  president  and 
cashier,  understand,  are  to  be  men  fully  in  our 
interest ;  men  not  over  scrupulous,  nor  trou 
bled  with  a  very  tender  regard  for  the  good  of 
the  much  lauded,  and  much  flattered,  dear 
public.  Do  you  see  the  matter  now  in  its  true 
light  ?" 

"I  do." 

"  I  thought  you  would  see  it.  Your  position 
in  the  '  Citizens'  Bank,'  in  the  '  Mutual  In 
surance  Company,'  and  in  the  '  Mutual  Sav 
ings'  Fund,'  will  enable  you  to  play  directly 
into  our  hands  in  carrying  out  the  grand 
scheme.  In  fact,  there  might  be  a  separate 
issue  payable  at  the  '  Mutual  Savings'  Fund,' 
which  would  afford  that  institution  a  medium 
of  circulation,  and  at  the  same  time  give  con 
fidence  to  the  entire  issue  of  the  Eagleton 
Bank.  This  is  a  good  thought." 

The  "  Mutual  Savings'  Fund,"  here  alluded 
to,  was  an  institution  somewhat  similar  to  a 
Savings"  Bank,  in  which  weekly  deposits  of 
9 


9S  MAKING    HASTE    TO    B£    RICH 

from  two  to  ten  dollars  were  received,  to  be 
converted  into  stock  whenever  the  sum  amount 
ed  to  the  price  of  a  share.  The  depositors 
were,  mostly,  persons  in  moderate  circumstan 
ces,  to  whom  were  held  out  the  prospect  of 
liberal  dividends  on  the  profits  of  the  institu 
tion,  which  received,  likewise,  regular  business 
deposits,  and  discounted  upon  its  funds.  Rid- 
dell  held  a  position  of  influence  in  this  Savings' 
Fund  Society,  from  which  the  Legislature,  in 
granting  a  charter,  had  wisely  withheld  the 
privilege  of  issuing  its  "promises  to  pay  ;"  and 
this  position,  Partridge  was  quick  to  perceive, 
would  enable  him  to  draw  the  institution  into 
an  arrangement  of  great  importance  to  the 
credit  of  the  Eagleton  Bank. 

11  A  good  thought,  truly,"  replied  Riddell  to 
the  last  remark  of  Partridge.  "  Without 
doubt,  if  the  scheme  you  propose  can  be  car 
ried  through,  we  may  gain  such  an  advanced 
position,  by  the  aid  of  the  Eagleton  Bank,  aa 
to  defy  any  efforts  to  break  us  down." 

"  Assuredly  so.  I  saw  that  at  the  first 
blush." 

"  It  is  a  grand  project !"  said  Riddell,  rising 
and  walking  about  the  floor,  perfectly  elated 
with  the  idea  of  the  ease  with  which  he  might, 
in  conjunction  with  two  or  three  others  as  little 


NEW    AND    BOLDER    SCHEMES.  9*7 

scrupulous  as  himself,  get  the  control  of  hun 
dreds  of  thousands  of  dollars. 

Up  to  this  time,  Riddell  had  struggled  hard 
to  repress  all  feelings  of  elation.  Indeed,  the 
necessity  which  had  all  along  existed  for  a 
most  earnest  application  of  himself  to  the  ways 
and  means  of  raising  money,  in  order  to  pre 
serve  his  business  in  its  integrity ;  and  the 
doubts  that  often  hung  over  the  future,  had 
kept  down  a  feeling  of  self-congratulation. 
But  now  he  saw  such  a  golden  harvest  before 
him,  all  ripe  for  the  sickle,  that,  like  a  bird 
upon  whom  the  sunshine  falls  suddenly,  he 
could  not  Tefrain  from  giving  vent  to  his  feel 
ings  of  delight. 

"Capital!  capital!  capital!"  ho  ejaculated, 
as  he  walked  the  floor,  and  the  whole  idea  of 
the  thing  grew  larger  before  the  eyes  of  his 
mind.  "  I  wonder  no  one  has  thought  of  this 
before." 

"  Others  have  thought  of  it,  no  doubt.  But 
not  all  who  are  able  to  see  clearly  the  ways  and 
means  of  making  money,  have  the  boldness  to 
enter  upon  their  execution.  Don't  forget, 
Riddell,  that,  in  carrying  out  this  plan,  great 
coolness,  forethought,  and  prudence  will  be  re 
quired.  There  must  be  no  fake  steps  made  ; 
no  faltering  in  a  moment  of  alarm  and  danger . 


98  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

no  betrayal  of  weakness,  nor  sacrifice  jf  inte 
rest  to  feeling,  at  any  point.  The  end  to  be 
attained  is  all  we  have  to  loqk  at.  Moreover, 
the  fewer  we  have  in  our  confidence  the  better. 
Our  mercantile  transactions  must  go  on  as 
usual,  and  we  must  devote  enough  time  to  them 
to  keep  all  in  a  healthy  condition,  lest  entan 
glements  there  bring  ruin  into  our  other  and 
really  more,  important  interests." 

All  this  Riddell  saw  clearly  enough,  and  he 
calmed  down  his  buoyant  spirits. 

"  With  such  a  magnificent  project  to  bo  car 
ried  out,  as  the  one  I  have  introduced,"  added 
Partridge, "  it  is  necessary  that  the  real  actors, 
although  the  public  may  not  fully  understand 
their  relation  to  the  matter,  should  be  men 
who  are  looked  upon  as  possessing  undoubted 
wealth.  For,  in  case  of  an  emergency,  it 
might  be  necessary  to  raise,  on  their  credit 
alone,  vast  sums  of  money,  to  sustain  the  splen 
did  scheme  of  profit  they  had  united  to  carry 
through.  You  are  now  looked  upon  as  an  en 
terprising  young  merchant,  who  has  made  -a 
good  deal  of  money  ;  but,  until  you  assume  an 
imposing  style  of  living,  such  as  I  have  sug 
gested,  you  will  not  make  the  desired  impres 
sion  on  the  public  mind.  Build  an  elegant 
house-—  th.p  Eagleton  Bank  will  prive  ample 


A    FINANCIERING    OPERATION.  99 

means  and  to  spare — order  a  splendid  carriage 
and  purchase  a  pair  of  horses  at  a  thousand 
dollars  a-piece.  This  will  do  more  for  you 
than  if  you  were  to  dig  from  the  earth  an  hun 
dred  thousand  dollars  in  gold." 

"  I  will  do  it,"  was  the  earnest  reply  of  Rid 
dell. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   FINANCIERING  OPERATION. 

ENOUGH  can  be  gathered  from  the  last  chap 
tor,  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  whither  our 
young  adventurer's  steps  were  tending,  and 
how  completely  the  god  of  this  world  had  blind 
ed  his  eyes.  The  legitimate  results  of  a  well- 
conducted  business  appeared,  now,  of  little  ac 
count  ia  his  estimation,  for  a  shorter  road  to 
wealth  was  before  him.  Through  the  advan 
tages  which  his  connexion  with  moneyed  insti 
tutions  gave  him,  he  had  been  able  to  command 
a  good  deal  of  capital,  but  nothing  to  what  he 
now  saw  would  flow  into  his  hands,  if  the  Eagle- 
ton  Bank  scheme  could  be  fully  realized. 

There  was  a  time  when  he  thought  that  fifty 
thousand  dollars  was  a  fortune.     But  now  he 
9* 


100  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

felt  that  nothing  short  of  hundreds  of  thousands 
would  satisfy  him.  One  thing,  involved  in  his 
money  schemes,  gave  him  at  times  uneasiness. 
In  stepping  beyond  the  proper  sphere  of  a  mer 
chant,  and  coming  into  association  with  men 
whose  business  transactions  were  with  money 
itself,  he  found  it  impossible  not  to  get  his  own 
interests  involved  with  theirs.  There  were  so 
many  wheels  within  wheels,  interchanges,  and 
appliances  at  points  near  and  remote,  to  be 
made,  in  order  to  deceive,  that  he  hardly  know 
how  he  stood,  or  exactly  how  far  he  was  so 
connected  with  otherp  as  to  be  in  danger,  were 
any  tripping  to  take  place.  Shrewd  as  he  was 
— and  Riddell  was  shrewd — he  was  playing  a 
game  with  men  who  understood  quite  as  well 
as  he  did,  if  not  better,  what  they  were  about ; 
and  knew  how  to  use  him  much  more  than  they 
suffered  him  to  use  them.  But  he  thought  that 
he  knew  what  he  was  about,  and  deemed  him 
self  wide  enough  awake  to  see  that  no  one  got 
a-head  of  him.  And  yet  there  were  times  when 
he  sincercly.wished  that  he  had  never  striven  to 
push  his  business  beyond  a  prudent  limit,  nor 
had  had  anything  to  do  with  banks  or  borrowed 
capital, — when  he  had  a  clear  appreciation  of 
the  dangerous  position  he  occupied,  and  how  an 
adverse  breath  nii^ht  dash  him  to  the  earth. 


A    FINANCIERING    OPERATION.  101 

How  this  was  so,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact,  that  he  always  had  discounts  and  accom 
modations  varying  from  sixty  to  eighty  thou 
sand  dollars,  obtained,  rn  many  cases,  through 
the  favor  of  others,  for  which  favors  he  had 
generally  to  give  a  like  return.  Partridge 
would  sometimes  exchange  notes  with  him — 
generally  for  pretty  heavy  amounts ;  but  always 
did  it  in  a  way  to  make  it  appear  simply  as  a 
favor  to  Riddell,  although  this  was  not,  by  any 
means,  generally  the  case.  And  there  yrere 
other  friends  of  his,  between  whom  and  himself 
endorsements  and  note  exchanges  passed  rather 
freely.  In  fact,  ho  found  it  impossible  to  get 
as  much  money  as  he  wanted,  without  the  aid 
of  friends  whose  credit  he  could  use,  and  for 
this  he  had  to  give  a  like  return. 

When  Riddell  first  started  in  business,  it  was 
with  the  wise  resolution  never  to  give  nor  ask 
an  endorser.  To  be  responsible  for  no  one  ; 
and  to  ask  no  one  to  be  responsible  for  him. 
And  in  the  articles  of  co-partnership  between 
Alexander  and  himself,  it  had  been  specially 
provided,  that  the  credit  of  the  firm  was  in  no 
case  to  be  loaned.  If,  after  he  had  virtually 
ejected  his  partner,  Riddell.  had  been  content 
with  a  safe  and  steady  accumulation  of  money, 
he  never  would  ha^e  been  tezaptad  to  depart 


102  MAKIKJ    HASTE    TO    BF    RICH. 

from  the  prudent  course  at  first  adopted  But 
the  mania  of  getting  rich  fast  took  deeper  hold 
of  him.  The  capital  upon  which  he  was  ope 
rating,  cramped  within  such  small  bounds  his 
ambitious  spirit,  that  he  grew  restless  and  im 
patient.  As  a  natural  consequence,  he  drove 
his  business  so  hard  that  it  soon  began  to  drive 
him  ;  and  the  necessity  for  larger  means  drove 
uim  into  a  moneyed  institution  as  a  director,  in 
the  hope  of  being  able  to  get  more  capital 
through  the  facilities  his  new  position  would 
give  him.  After  this  there  was  no  stopping — 
no  looking  back.  One  step  opened  the  way 
for  another  ;  and  new  allurements  were  pre 
sented  with  every  new  advancement.  His  rul 
ing  love  was  fired  with  increasing  ardor,  and 
his  cupidity  tempted  by  promises  of  gain  be 
yond  anything  yet  realized.  But,  amid  it  all, 
he  did  not  neglect  his  business ;  still  looking 
upon  that  as  the  surest  way  to  independence, 
and  throwing  into  it  all  the  energy  his  larger 
command  of  means  gave  him.  Still,  his  opera 
tions  in  trade  were  not  marked  by  the  shrewd 
ness  that  once  characterized  them,  for  the  rea 
son  that  his  command  of  money  facilities  made 
him  bolder,  and  inspired  him  with  more  of  the 
"  nothing  venture  nothing  gain"  spirit  than  ha 
bad  before  possessed.  Every  inordinate  love, 


A    FINANCIERING    OPERATION.  103 

when  permitted  to  come  into  full  activity, 
blinds  the  intellect;  and  this  is  particularly 
the  case  with  the  inordinate  love  of  gain.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  so  many  men,  after  hav 
ing  secured  large  fortunes,  run  into  the  mad 
dest  schemes  in  their  eager  desire  for  greater 
wealth,  and  make  shipwreck  of  everything — 
not  excepting  a  good  name  and  a  good  con 
science. 

A  few  more  conferences  with  Partridge,  and 
one  or  two  others  admitted  into  their  counsels, 
determined  the  matter  in  regard  to  the  Eagle- 
ton  Bank.  Immediate  measures  were  taken  to 
get  possession  of  the  stock,  which  was  accom 
plished  by  means  not  necessary  1o  detail  here, 
and  the  broken  concern  galvanized  into  the  ap 
pearance  of  new  and  healthy  life.  Certain 
brokers  were  employed  to  advertise  for  Eagle- 
ton  Bank  paper  at  three-quarters  per  cent,  dis 
count,  while  others  loaned  it  at  short  dates  and 
received  par  funds  in  return.  None  but  those 
immediately  interested,  knew  of  Riddell's  con 
nexion  with  the  bank,  yet  some  wondered  that 
he  had  so  much  of  its  paper  on  hand.  If  a 
neighbor,  on  a  money-hunting  errand,  stepped 
in,  and  said — 

k'  Have  you  anything  over  to-day,  Riddell  ?" 

His  usual  reply  was  — 


104  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

'*  I  have  a  few  hundreds  in  Eagleton 
notes,  which  you  can  have  for  a  week,  if  that 
will  do  you  any  good." 

Or,  if  a  bill  was  to  he  paid,  the  Eagleton 
Bank  notes  were  pushed  off,  provided  they 
would  be  received. 

The  other  partners  in  this  high  handed  fraud 
upon  the  public,  were  equally  active  in  con 
verting  their  share  of  the  bills  obtained  from 
the  bank  into  something  that  looked  in  their 
eyes  more  like  money  or  property.  The  parties 
in  this  great  scheme  were  in  number  four,  and 
their  first  act,  after  getting  the  bank  afloat,  was 
to  make  each,  a  stock  note,  and  borrow  thereon 
from  the  bank,  thirty  thousand  dollars  a  piece 
of  its  paper,  which  they  were  to  put  into  cir 
culation  as  best  they  could.  Of  the  proceeds 
of  this,  five  thousand  dollars  were  to  be  con 
verted  by  each  into  specie,  or  par  funds,  mak 
ing  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  all,  and  the  same 
transmitted  to  Eagleton,  as  a  basis  for  the  bank 
to  rest  upon.  This,  with  what  would  come 
directly  into  the  institution  through  the  agencies 
established  by  the  officers  of  the  bank,  in  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore,  it  was  be 
lieved  would  keep  it  safe,  as  it  lay  far  off,  in  a 
quiet  valley,  remote  from  business  and  difficult 
of  access. 


A    FINANCIERING    OPERATION.  lOil 

The  next  thing  was  for  Partridge,  Riddell 
&  Co.  to  borrow  equal  amounts  from  the  bank, 
on  their  individual  notes.  These  notes,  when 
they  fell  due,  were  merely  renewed.  Even 
the  formality  of  taking  them  up  was  not  ob 
served. 

Things  went  on  smoothly.  The  first  sur 
prise  and  doubt  that  passed  over  the  public 
mind  died  away.  Confidence  in  the  resusci 
tated  bank  gradually  took  hold  of  the  mass,  and 
in  less  than  a  twelve  month,  the  bills  were  re 
garded  with  as  little  suspicion  as  if  the  peo 
ple  could  look  into  the  vaults  of  the  bank  and 
see  them  filled  with  gold.  During  this  time, 
Riddell  had  so  managed  affairs,  as  to  induce 
the  directors  of  the  "  Mutual  Savings'  Fund" 
to  apply  to  the  President  and  Directors  (!)  oi 
the  Eagleton  Bank  for  a  special  issue  of  bills, 
payable  at  their  counter,  for  which  they  offered 
ample  security,  and  a  handsome  per  centage. 
The  President  and  Directors  were,  of  course, 
all  prepared  for  this  ;  and  of  course  they  grant 
ed  the  request.  This  new  issue,  "  payable  at 
the  Office  of  the  Mutual  Savings'  Fund  in 

,"  amounted  to  one  hundred  thousand 

dollars. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  security 
obtained  from  the  "  Mutual  Savings'  Fund  " 


106  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

was  a  dead  letter  to  our  bankers.  Very  far 
from  it.  It  was  something  that,  while  it  ro- 
inained  nominally  in  possession  of  the  "  fund," 
could  be  hypothecated.  And  it  was  hypothe 
cated,  and  from  sixty  to  eighty  thousand  dollars 
borrowed  thereon. 

In  the  meantime,  Riddell  had  commenced 
building  on  a  scale  far  more  elegant  and  costly 
than  had  at  first  been  contemplated.  When 
he  mentioned  to  his  wife  what  he  designed 
doing,  she  begged  him,  earnestly,  to  bo  con 
tented  with  their  present  style. 

"  We  do  not  enjoy  what  we  already  possess," 
she  said.  "  Only  give  me  more  of  your  society, 
and  let  me  see  your  face  brighten  when  you 
come  home,  as  it  used  to  brighten,  and  I  will 
be  content  with  far  less  than  we  now  have 
Here  is  elegance,  dear  husband,  beyond  what 
my  heart  desires ;  elegance  that  your  eyes  do 
not  seem  to  see  nor  care  for.  Why,  then,  seek 
for  anything  beyond  ?  It  will  bring  care,  but 
no  enjoyment." 

"  There  is  an  end  in  view,  Blanche ;  an  end 
beyond  what  is  personal  to  ourselves  in  the 
splendid  residence  I  shall  build." 

"  There  can  be  only  one  right  end,  dear,  for 
which  a  man  should  build  himself  a  costly 
house  ;  and  in  that  end  is  involved  nothing  that 


A    FINANCIERING    OPERATION.  107 

does  not^  appertain  to  domestic  comfort  and 
hospitality." 

Mrs.  Riddell  spoke  earnestly,  while  her  eyes 
were  fixed  tenderly,  yet  with  a  serious  expres 
sion,  upon  her  husband's  face. 

"  You  are  a  woman,  Blanche,"  returned 
Riddell,  half  lightly,  half  chidingly,  "  and  can 
not  see  how,  in  our  struggles  with  the  world, 
we  have  to  do  a  hundred  things  only  for  the 
sake  of  appearances.  Domestic  comfort  and 
hospitality  are  not  involved  in  my  purposes  in 
regard  to  building,  and  the  assumption  of  a 
more  imposing  style  of  living.  Heaven  knows, 
as  you  say,  that  I  don't  enjoy  what  I  have  !" 

"  My  husband,"  said  Blanche,  more  serious 
ly  than  before,  "  it  is  a  truth,  and  one  that  we 
ought  to  ponder  well,  that  only  what  is  done 
from  a  right  end  brings  the  desired  result.  To 
build  an  elegant  house,  and  assume  an  imposing 
style  of  living,  merely  for  the  sake  of  appear 
ances,  must  result  in  disappointment." 

"  It  is  not  for  mere  appearances,  Blanche," 
returned  Riddell,  who  did  not  understand  his 
wife  half  so  well  as  the  few  words  he  had  uttered 
enabled  her  to  understand  him.  u  No  ;  far 
from  it.  As  to  the  mere  appearance  of  pos 
sessing  great  wealth,  I  care  nothing  for  that. 
But,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  impress  the 
10 


108  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

minds  of  the  public  with  my  substantiality,  thai 
I  assume  the  appearance  of  a  man  of  large  pro 
perty.  Men  judge  from  appearances.  Fifty 
thousand  dollars,  well  laid  out,  will  give  rae  the 
command  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol 
lars.  You  understand  now,  do  you  not, 
Blanche." 

Mrs.  Riddell  looked  surprised  and  bewil 
dered. 

"  In  other  words,  Blanche,"  resumed  her 
husband,  "  I  must  deceive  the  public  by  the 
appearance  of  being  really  a  richer  man  than  1 
am  ;  this  will  so  enlarge  my  credit,  that  I  can 
gain  what  I  at  first  only  seem  to  possess. 
This  has  been  the  case  all  along.  I  was  not 
really  justified  by  the  state  of  my  business  in 
assuming,  when  we  did,  our  present  style  of 
living,  but  the  result  has  been  what  I  expected. 
My  credit  instantly  became  better,  and  I  was 
soon  in  a  condition  to  support  a  far  more  costly 
style.  This  is  a  strange  world,  Blanche  ;  and 
while  we  are  in  it  we  must  do  as  it  does.  If 
people  will  be  humbugged,  why  we  must  only 
humbug  them  ;  that's  all." 

A  self  complacent  smile  wreathed  about  the 
face  of  Riddell ;  but  it  was  met  by  no  answer 
ing  smile  from  the  sweet  lips  of  his  wife,  whose 
heart  was  chilled  by  s  >  strange  and  unexpected 


A    FINANCIERING     OPERATION.  109 

an  avowal  on  the  part  of  her  husband.  Never 
before  had  he  openly  declared  the  principles 
upon  which  he  was  acting,  and  her  partial  love 
for  him  had  prevented  her  from  seeing  them 
herself. 

"  Why  do  you  look  so  grave,  dear  ?"  Riddell 
asked,  after  looking  for  some  moments  on  the 
sober,  downcast  face  of  his  wife. 

The  eyes  of  Blanche  were  instantly  raised  to 
his,  and  rested  upon  him  with  a  steady  expres 
sion  that  he  did  not  comprehend,  but  which  dis 
turbed  him. 

"  Surely  my  husband  cannot  be  in  earnest," 
she  said. 

*'  In  what,  Blanche  ?" 

"  In  a  deliberate  purpose  to  deceive." 

"  Nonsense,  dear  !  You  are  too  serious.  I 
do  not  mean,  by  deceiving  the  public,  to  wrong 
any  one.  Every  man  has,  to  a  certain  extent, 
to  assume  false  appearances.  It  is  the  only 
road  to  success  in  the  world.  I  have  found  it 
necessary  to  do  so  from  the  first." 

"You?" 

The  tone  and  look  with  which  this  single 
word  was  uttered,  warned  Riddell  that  he  had 
said  too  much. 

"  We  won't  talk  any  more  about  this, 
Blanche,"  he  replied  quickly  ;  "  I  see  that  I 


1  10  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

am  not  fully  understood.     Far  be  it  from  me 
to  meditate  wrong  to  any  one." 

The  expression  of  his  voice,  in  the  last  sen- 
tense,  indicated  that  he  was  hurt  hy  the  covert 
rebuke  of  his  wife.  This  she  was  quick  to  per 
ceive.  Without  replying,  she  leaned  her  head 
against  him,  and  endeavored  to  conceal  the 
tears  that  came  springing  to  her  eyes.  But  he 
felt  the  deep  heaving  of  her  bosom,  and  knew 
that  she  was  painfully  disturbed. 

"  Blanche,"  he  said  in  a  serious  voice,  "  you 
must  be  willing  to  think  that  I  will  do  right 
The  intercourse  of  the  drawing-room  and  the 
intercourse  of  the  business  world  are  far  differ 
ent.  In  the  former,  there  is  little  or  nothing 
at  stake,  and  we  may  afford  to  be  frank,  open, 
and  deferential  to  others ;  but,  in  the  business 
world,  everything  is  at  stake,  and  the  code  of 
the  drawing-room  will  not  do.  Men  cease,  in 
fact,  to  be  gentlemen  here.  One  defers  not  to 
another,  nor  speaks  the  real  purpose  of  his 
mind.  Were  he  to  do  so,  he  would  be  driven 
to  the  wall  in  a  day,  for  every  man  would  see 
his  cards,  and  beat  him  in  the  first  game.  Why, 
if  I  were  to  publish  from  the  house-top  the 
exact  state  of  my  business,  and  let  the  public 
know  precisely  what  I  was  worth,  I  wouldn't  be 
able  to  keep  my  head  above  water  for  a  month." 


A    FINANCIERING    OPERATION.  Ill 

Riddell  did  not  know  how  the  heart  of  his 
wife  trembled  to  its  very  centre,  as  he  made 
the  declaration.  She  took  his  words  far  more 
literally  than  he  had  intended  her  to  take  them  ; 
and,  from  that  hour,  lived  in  the  daily  fear  of 
some  impending  evil.  Her  husband's  avowal 
of  his  purposes  had  taken  a  veil  from  her  eyes, 
and,  in  one  whom  she  had  so  tenderly  loved 
for  years,  she  saw  something  from  which  her 
better  heart  turned  shrinkingly  away. 

It  was  not  a  fear  of  the  loss  of  wealth  that 
chilled  the  heart  of  Mrs.  Riddell.  It  was  a 
dim  fear  of  the  loss  of  something  else — of 
honor  and  a  good  name.  By  the  side  of  her 
husband,  she  felt  that  she  could  stand  up 
bravely  in  any  reverse,  and  bear  with  him  any 
trials,  so  that  no  finger  could  point  to  a  blot 
upon  his  integrity,  and  no  busy  tongue  pro 
claim  his  dishonor.  But,  with  the  instinct  of 
an  upright  mind,  she  saw  that  the  path  he  was 
treading  was  not  only  beset  with  many  tempta 
tions,  but  that  he  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
being  drawn  aside  by  their  false  allurements. 

With  what  a  feeling  of  anxiety  she  saw  her 
husband  commence  the  erection  of  his  elegant 
mansion,  and  noted  its  progress,  may  well  be 
conceived.  In  spite  of  all  her  efforts  to  drive 
Uie  impression  from  her  mind,  she  never  looked 
10* 


112  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

upon  the  beautiful  edifice,  as  its  imposing  front 
gradually  lifted  itself  up,  and  stood  forth  to  the 
admiring  eyes  of  thousands,  without  feeling  that 
it  was  to  be  a  monument  to  their  shame  and 
disgrace.  And  when,  at  last,  she  took  posses 
sion  of  the  princely  dwelling,  it  was  with  hid 
den  tears,  not  with  open  exultation.  And  yet 
she  had  her  part  to  play,  and  could  not  turn 
from  its  assumption.  Grand  entertainments 
were  given,  and  she  could  do  no  less  than  call 
light  and  smiles  to  her  face,  and  pass  amid  the 
gay  company  that  assembled  in  her  splendid 
drawing-rooms,  wearing  a  happy  face.  There 
were  hundreds  to  envy  her — hundreds  who 
never  thought  of  looking  below  the  surface,  to 
pronounce  her  favored  above  the  common  lot. 
But,  if  they  could  have  seen  into  her  heart — 
if  they  could  have  looked  upon  her  alone  in 
her  chamber,  themselves  unseen,  an  hour  be 
fore  she  appeared  the  smUing  hostess,  they 
would  have  thought  and  felt  far  differently. 


THE   TEMPTATION    AND    FALL.  113 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  TEMPTATION  AND  FALL. 

"  ISN'T  it  wonderful  how  that  young  man  has 
got  along  ?  He  is  said  to  be  worth  fi  re  or  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars  " 

"  It  is,  indeed.  But  it  shows  what  may  be 
done  by  industry  and  shrewdness.  He  is  the 
closest  man  I  ever  dealt  with.  Somehow  or 
other,  he  always  manages  to  get  the  best  side 
of  a  bargain." 

"  That  is  the  true  way.  He  understands  the 
right  system." 

"  To  get  rich — but  it  isn't  always  an  honest 
system." 

"  Men  don't  generally  stop  to  inquire  about 
the  honesty  involved,  when  a  good  bargain  is 
before  them.  Every  man  has  to  look  out  for 
himself.  He  that  gets  a-head  as  things  are 
now,  must  have  his  eyes  open." 

"  I  have  heard  it  said,  that  Riddell  talks  of 
retiring  from  business,  having  made  as  much  as 
he  wants." 

"  It  would  be  a  sign  of  discretion,  if  he  were 
to  do  so." 

u  I  was  ta'king  with  Partridge  about  him  this 


114  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

morning.  He  says  that  he  has  advised  him  to 
do  it,  and  give  place  for  others  to  come  for 
ward — that  he  has  made  enough." 

"  Do  you  really  think  Riddell  is  worth  as 
much  as  you  intimated  just  now  ?" 

"  Partridge  says  he  knows  him  to  be  worth 
every  cent  of  it ;  and  he  is  generally  correct  in 
his  estimations." 

"  It  seems  almost  incredible  that  so  much 
money  could  have  been  made  in  so  short  a 
time." 

'  "  Doesn't  it.     But  Riddell  is  no  common 
man." 

"  True.     He's  one  in  a  thousand." 

Thus  were  the  many  deceived  by  appear 
ances.  Each  of  the  confederates  in  the  Eagle- 
ton  Bank  scheme,  stood  aloof  from  the  others, 
as  far  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so,  when  the  pub 
lic  eye  was  upon  them ;  and  each  took  pains  to 
speak  of  the  substantiality  of  the  others,  on  all 
proper  occasions.  The  mass  were  easily  misled 
in  this  way,  and  echoed  and  re-rochoed  the  story 
of  their  great  wealth.  A  few  saw  deeper,  and 
confidently  prophesied  the  end.  But  their 
words  fell  unheeded.  They  were  alluded  to  as 
croakers,  as  those  who  were  behind  the  spirit  of 
the  age  ;  as  plodders  in  a  beaten  track.  Dozens 
were  tempted  to  depart  from  a  safe  and  pru- 


THE    TEMPTATION    AND    FALL  ll!5 

dent  business,  in  the  eager  desire  to  get  rich 
fast,  with  which  the  example  of  Kiddel  had  in 
spired  them.  But  we  must  pursue  the  history 
of  the  man  who  was  making  haste  to  be  rich. 

Freely  as  came  into  his  hands  the  bills  of  the 
Eagleton  Bank,  and  freely  as  he  could  pay  them 
away,  Riddell  found  that  the  erection  of  his 
elegant  house,  in  which  over  eighty  thousand 
dollars  were  expended,  had  made  money  mat 
ters  exceedingly  tight  with  him.  On  the  day 
following  the  evening  on  which  he  had  given  a 
splendid  entertainment  to  commemorate  the  fact 
of  his  taking  possession  of  his  new  house,  and 
to  display  its  rich  interior  to  the  eyes  of  those 
who  would  look  upon  it  all  as  another  evidence 
of  his  immense  wealth,  he  found  himself  with 
thirty  thousand  dollars  to  pay  in  the  bank,  and 
a  balance  in  his  favor  of  less  than  five  thou 
sand  dollars.  On  the  day  before,  his  payments 
had  been  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  in  the  week 
preceding,  not  less  than  an  equal  sum.  In 
providing  for  these,  following  as  they  did,  other 
heavy  payments,  Riddell  had  compassed  nearly 
the  whole  of  his  available  resources  for  the 
time,  and  he  was,  therefore,  in  a  strait.  If  he 
had  possessed  any  paper,  even  though  drawn  by 
the  Man  in  the  Moon,  he  could  have  negotiat 
ed  it  in  son? a  way.  To  Partridge  he  had  al- 


116  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

ready  applied  oftencr  for  an  exchange  of  notea 
than  he  deemed  prudent.  In  fact,  some  things 
had  come  to  his  observation  that  awakened 
doubts  as  to  the  real  stability  of  his  friend,  and 
he  felt  more  than  an  incipient  desire  to  get  lesa 
involved  with  him  than  he  now  was. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ?"  was  the  serious 
question  he  asked  himself,  as  he  sat  at  his 
desk,  with  a  memorandum  of  the  amount  of 
money  to  be  raised,  written  out  upon  a  piece 
of  paper  and  lying  before  him.. 

For  the  third  or  fourth  time  he  looked 
through  the  great  pocketbook,  in  which  bills 
receivable  were  deposited,  but  there  was  little 
or  nothing  there.  Then  he  thought  whether 
he  could  not  get  from  the  Secretary  of  the 
"  Union  Insurance  Company"  post-notes  of 
the  Institution  for  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
on  his  individual  note  alone.  But  the  fear, 
lest  the  effort  to  do  this  would  create  a  bad  im 
pression,  deterred  him  from  attempting  that 
mode  of  raising  the  money. 

It  so  happened,  that,  on  the  very  evening 
before,  he  had  been  reading  in  an  English 
Magazine,  put  into  his  hands  by  Partridge, 
Borne  passages  in  an  "  Autobiography  of  John 
Ketch,"  which  gave  an  account  of  the  execu 
tion  of  the  well  kmwn  Fauntleroy,  Doctor 


THE    TEMPTATION    AND    FALL.  117 

Dodd,  and  others,  for  forger}.  Strangely 
enough,  he  had  not  thought  so  much  about  the 
dreadful  end  to  which  these  men  had  come,  as 
about  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  means  they 
used  in  obtaining  money,  which  was  to  draw 
bills  in,  or  endorse  them  with,  fictitious  names. 
While  pondering  over  the  difficulty  he  was 
in,  and  regretting  the  want  of  good  business  or 
other  paper  upon  which  he  could  procure  mo 
ney,  the  ease  with  which  a  bill  could  be  created, 
drawn  in  his  favor,  and  signed  by  an  imaginary 
name,  occurred  to  him.  He  could  make  the 
note  payable  in  his  own  city,  and  allege  that 
the  drawer  was  a  merchant  somewhere  at  the 
South  or  West.  His  own  name  would  be  suf 
ficient  for  its  negotiation,  so  fair  was  his  credit, 
and  so  potent  was  his  influence  in  certain  quar 
ters.  The  first  presentation  of  the  thought 
startled  him,  and  he  turned  from  it  instantly. 
But,  in  turning,  he  turned  to  no  other  resource 
for  getting  out  of  the  difficulty,  and,  therefore, 
his  mind  again  came  back  to  the  suggestion, 
and  he  looked  at  it  more  steadily.  In  a  very 
little  while,  the  first  instinctive  reluctance  thai 
he  felt  was  not  perceived  ;  and  he  began  ear 
nestly  to  think  of  the  matter,  and  to  ponder  the 
risk  involved  in  this  new  system  of  monej 
getting.  It  was  r  ot,  he  aro-ued  with  himself 


118  MAKINK    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

forgery,  for  the  name  of  no  real  perse  11  was 
used  ;  and,  even  in  the  event  of  discovery, 
which  was  by  no  means  probable,  could  not  ba 
considered  forgery  in  the  eye  of  the  law. 

But,  even  after  all  the  doubts  and  difficulties 
that  started  in  his  miud,  had,  by  specious 
arguments,  been  removed,  there  still  remained 
a  strong,  instinctive  repugnance,  to  doing  the 
thing  proposed ;  and  again  Riddell  turned 
away,  and  earnestly  sought  for  some  other 
means  of  saving  himself.  None,  however,  pre 
sented  themselves.  It  seemed,  after  this  sug 
gestion  came,  that  his  mind  lost  its  resources. 
Nothing  that  he  could  think  of  gave  the  least 
hope  of  affording  relief. 

"It  must  be  done!"  he  at  length  said  to 
himself,  with  a  desp orate  resolution,  and  a 
feeling  such  as  no  man  would  twice  be  willing 
to  endure.  But  the  moment  of  bitterness  was 
soon  past,  and  in  doing  what  he  had  resolved 
to  do,  he  found  less  pain  than  he  feared  would 
attend  it. 

Ten  notes  of  various  amounts,  dates,  and 
periods,  were  drawn,  all  signed,  in  a  disguised 
hand,  with  imaginary  names,  and  rendered 
payable  at  various  banks  in  the  city.  Their 
Burn  was  thirty  thousand  dollars,  Witli  these 
he  went  to  the  secretary  of  fhe  "  Union  Insur- 


THE    TEMPTATION    AND    FALL.  119 

anco  Company,"  of  which  he  was  president, 
and  for  them  obtained  three  post  notes  of  the 
company,  payable  in  three,  four,  and  six 
months.  No  difficulty  was  experienced  in 
turning  these  post  notes  into  cash.  There 
were  always  plenty  of  money  lenders  glad  to 
get  them,  at  a  trifle  above  legal  interest. 

When  Riddell,  that  evening,  encountered 
the  clear,  steady  look  of  his  wife,  his  eyes 
drooped  beneath  her  gaze.  He  felt  that  she 
must  read  what  he  had  done  in  his  countenance  ; 
and  he  also  felt,  at  that  moment,  that  he  would 
sooner  have  died  than  have  her  come  into  the 
possession  of  his  secret. 

That  nieht  he  dreamed  that  he  was  engaged 
with  Fauntleroy  in  his  great  system  of  forgery, 
and  a  prey  to  the  most  distressing  fears  of  de 
tection  and  consequent  death  Then  his  dream 
changed.  He  was  Fauntleroy  him  self — detected, 
imprisoned,  tried,  and  sentenced  to  expiate  his 
crime  against  society  upon  the  gallows.  In 
horror  he  awoke,  great  beads  of  perspiration 
standing  upon  his  forehead. 

But  familiarity  with  this  new  mode  of  "  finan 
ciering"  soon  dispelled  all  such  dreams.  It 
worked  so  well  that  he  grew  almost  careless 
about  looking  after  the  real  paper  which  his 
large  business  was  regularly  bringing  in,  half 
11 


120  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

forgetting,  in  his  blindness,  that  there  would 
be  no  one  but  himself  to  provide  for  these  ficti 
tious  bills. 

Nor  did  he  know  that  one  of  his  compeers, 
the  one  who  had  put  into  his  hands  the  maga 
zine  containing  the  "  autobiography  of  John 
Ketch,"  had  his  eyes  upon  him,  and  was 
closely  watching  his  every  movement.  He  had 
been  playing  with  him  as  a  cat  plays  with  a 
mouse,  and  now  he  was  meditating  the  end. 
Partridge  knew  exactly  the  ground  upon  which 
Riddell  was  standing,  and  saw  that  there  was 
danger  of  his  going  by  the  board  too  soon,  if 
means  were  not  provided  by  which  he  could 
sustain  himself  for  something  like  a  year  longer, 
and  until  he  could  withdraw  from  all  connex 
ion  with  him  involving  risk,  or  likely  to  reflect 
discredit  upon  him  as  a  man  of  integrity  when 
the  final  crash  came ;  and  come  he  knew  it 
must.  He  was  a  greater  villain  than  Riddell, 
because  he  had  a  cooler  head  and  acted  from  a 
more  deliberate  purpose.  He  judged  correctly 
when  he  supposed  that  the  reading  of  Fauntle- 
roy'i  forgeries  would  suggest  to  Riddell,  in  his 
difficulties,  a  similar  mode  of  proceeding,  and 
he  took  care  to  afford  his  victim  an  opportunity 
of  perusing  the  history  of  which  allusion  has 
been  made. 


THE    TEMPTATION    AND    FALL.  121 

Partridge  naturally  concluded,  tint  if  Rid' 
dell  manufactured  paper,  he  would  exchange  it 
for  post  notes  of  the  "  Union  Insurance  Com 
pany,"  a  thing  he  was  in  the  habit  of  doing, 
regularly,  with  business  and  accommodation 
paper.  Being  a  director  in  this  company,  and 
acquainted  with  all  its  doings,  as  well  as,  for 
reasons  best  known  to  himself,  on  familiar  terms 
with  the  secretary,  Partridge  had  the  means  of 
knowing,  at  all  times,  what  paper  the  company 
received  and  held.  It  must  be  understood  that 
the  board  gave  the  secretary  discretionary 
power  in  case  notes  were  offered  when  it  was 
not  sitting  ;  and  this  power  was  used  to  favor 
a  few,  Partridge,  Riddell  (who  was  president), 
and  some  others. 

This  understood,  it  will  not  be  a  matter  of 
wonder  that  Partridge  detected  the  forgeries 
of  Riddell  on  the  very  day  they  were  made. 
Notwithstanding  the  care  with  which  the  ficti 
tious  notes  were  drawn,  with  a  view  to  prevent 
suspicion,  there  was,  in  die  eyes  of  already 
awakened  suspicion,  unmistakable  evidence  of 
the  fraud.  But,  in  a  matter  like  this,  assurance 
sought  to  be  doubly  assured.  With  the  utmost 
coolness,  Partridge  said  to  Riddell,  on  the  vefy 
day  he  made  the  discovery  of  what  had  been 
done — 


122  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

"  I  observed  a  note  this  morning,  left  by  you 
at  the  '  Union,'  drawn  by  Jacob  Ellerby.  Who 
is  he?  I  don  t  think  I  remember  a  merchant 
of  that  name.  Does  he  belong  to  this  city,  or 
is  he  found  in  the  country  ?" 

Steadily  wore  the  eyes  of  Partridge  fixed 
upon  Riddell  as  he  said  this,  and  he  saw  enough 
to  more  than  confirm  his  suspicions.  And  yet 
an  indifferent  looker-on  would  have  seen  no 
thing  worthy  of  remark. 

"  He  is  a  merchant  of  Lexington,  Ky.," 
replied  Riddell,  without  the  slightest  hesitation, 
"  who  has  recently  commenced  business.  His 
father  is  a  rich  farmer  near  Paris,  so  he  states. 
He  brought  on  such  letters  as  induced  me  to 
give  him  credit.  Was  he  not  in  your  store  ?" 

"  No.  I  have  not  heard  of  him  at  all,  wliich 
is  the  reason  I  asked.  You  are  satisfied  that 
he  is  good  ?" 

"  Perfectly." 

"  I  must  try  and  find  him  out,  then,  the 
next  time  he  visits  our  city,  and  sell  him  a  bill 
myself." 

With  this  remark  Partridge  completely  lulled 
to  rest  any  doubt  that  his  questions  had  awak- 
*"ened  in  the  mind  of  Riddell.  On  that  very  day 
he  wrote  to  a  correspondent  in  Lexington,  ask 
ing  if  there  was  a  merchant  there  named  El 


THE    TEMPTATION    AND    FALL,.  123 

lerby,  and  to  a  correspondent  in  Paris,  Ky.,  to 
know  if  a  farmer  by  the  same  name  resided  neai 
that  town.  In  due  time  answers  came  from 
both  places,  and  they  were  in  the  negative. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Partridge  to  himself, 
coolly  folding  the  last  of  these  replies,  and  plac 
ing  it  in  his  desk  ;  "  that  settles  the  matter. 
I  must  disconnect  myself  with  the  young  gen 
tleman  as  rapidly  as  I  can,  so  as  to  be  out  of 
the  reach  of  danger,  when  the  brittle  fabric  of 
his  fortune  comes  tumbling  about  him.  He's 
a  bold  fellow,  and  deserves  a  better  fate  ;  but 
he  wanted  prudence,  and  a  mind  that  could  see 
farther,  in  order  to  balance  off  his  boldness. 
But  it  is  the  case  with  nine  out  of  ten  who  ven 
ture  upon  these  seas ;  they  carry  more  sail  than 
ballast.  I  warned  him  of  this  in  the  beginning. 
His  new  system  of  money-raising  will  give  him, 
for  a  time,  if  he  pursues  it,  as  I  have  no  doubt 
he  will,  the  command  of  plenty  of  means.  He 
will  want  no  n-ore  exchanges  of  notes  with  me  ; 
and  four  months  will  close  up  all  transactions 
of  that  kind  at  present  existing.  After  that  J 
must  sell  off,  quietly,  my  stock  in  the  Eagletou 
Bank,  which  will  net  me,  at  eighty  dollars  a 
share,  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars;  and  increase 
my  indebtedness  to  the  utmost  extent,  which  1 
can  pay  off  in  depreciated  paper  after  the  blow 


124  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

up,  and  make ,  in  that  way,  over  a  hundred  It  ou- 
sand  dollars  clear.  This  will  be  better  than 
using  any  more  of  the  '  Union '  post  notes, 
with  their  confounded  '  payable  to  order,' 
which  makes  every  man  who  gets  them  respon 
sible.  I  believe  I  have  used  that  concern  to 
the  extent  dictated  by  prudence.  As  soon  as 
Riddell  is  so  well  in  for  his  Fauntleroy  scheme, 
that  he  has  no  hope  but  in  its  continuance,  1 
will  withdraw  from  the  '  Union'  Board,  and 
leave  the  control  of  affairs  to  others  who  will 
have  to  bear  the  odium  of  its  mismanagement, 
when  that  goes  down  with  the  Eagleton  Bank 
and  '  Mutual  Savings'  Fund.'  " 

Partridge  mused  thus,  and  laid  his  plans 
with  the  utmost  coolness,  while  his  partners  in 
the  great  fraud  that  was  to  ruin  dozens  of  men, 
and  bring  loss  upon  hundreds,  had  no  suspicion 
of  what  was  in  his  mind. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CRIME  DISCOVERED. 

FROM  fictitious  names,  the  transition  to  real 
ones  was  easy.  Riddell  found  that  in  raising 
the  imm  3nse  sums  he  constantly  needed,  he  had 


CRIME    DISCOVERED.  125 

to  use  too  large  a  quantity  of  his  manufactured 
paper  ;  and  that  well  known  names  in  money 
circles  must  come  in  more  freely,  or  suspicion 
of  the  real  truth  might  be  awakened. 

The  rejection,  at  one  of  the  banks,  of  about 
ten  thousand  dollars  of  bills,  upon  which  his 
was  the  only  name  known,  made  the  resort  to 
some  new  expedient  absolutely  necessary.  This 
expedient  was  the  adding  of  real  names  as  en 
dorsers  to  the  fictitious  notes. 

In  all  his  schemes  of  money-making  and 
money-raising,  Riddell  had  never  once  asked 
for  the  loan  of  money  or  an  endorsement  from 
his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Ackland.  The  first  ad 
vance  of  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  had  nevei 
been  returned.  Very  soon  after  the  marriage 
of  his  daughter.  Mr  Ackland  was  led,  from 
what  he  saw  of  RiJdell,  to  doubt  his  prudence 
as  a  man  of  business,  and  to  remonstrate  witt 
him  against  entering  into  certain  transactions 
which  were,  in  his  mind,  far  too  hazardous 
Some  feeling  on  both  sides  was  created  in  con 
sequence,  and  Riddell  secretly  resolved  that  he 
would  never  trouble  Mr.  Ackland  for  aid,  noi 
ask  his  advice  in  any  matter.  And  he  kept 
his  resolution.  The  father-in-law,  however, 
attentively  observed  his  movements,  and  bis 
eyes,  gifted  with  more  penetration  than  most  oi 


126  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

those  around  him,  enabled  him  to  see  that  alJ 
was  not  so  substantial  as  appearances  indicated. 
But  he  ventured  upon  no  advice  nor  caution, 
for  he  had  seen  enough  of  the  young  man's 
character  to  satisfy  him  that  it  would  do  no 
good. 

The  relation  between  Riddell  and  Mr.  Ack- 
land  being  considered,  it  is  a  little  remarkable 
that  the  first  signature  chosen  by  the  former  to 
give  credit  to  his  notes,  was  that  of  his  father- 
in-law,  which,  after  many  trials,  he  succeeded 
in  imitating  so  accurately,  that  few  could  have 
distinguished  it  from  a  genuine  endorsement 

It  was  but  natural  to  suppose  that  Mr.  Ack- 
land  would  endorse  the  paper  of  his  son-in- 
law,  and  when  the  notes  bearing  his  endorse 
ment  were  presented  for  discount,  the  drawers' 
names  were  scarcely  noted.  They  were  always 
passed. 

But  it  so  happened,  that  within  a  few  weeks 
of  the  time  when  this  bold  step  was  taken,  that 
a  note  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  thus  endors 
ed,  was  passed  off  upon  a  private  money-lender, 
who,  soon  after  having  a  large  sum  of  money 
to  raise,  passed  it  into  a  bank  for  discount 
where  Mr.  Ackland  was  director. 

"  You  will  hardly  object  to  that,"  remarked 
the  Director  ttho  sat  next  to  Mr.  Ackland  at 


CHIME    DISCOVERED.  127 

the  long  green  table,  as  he  passed  him  the  note 
upon  which  his  endorsement  was  forged. 

"  Don't  be  too  certain,"  was  the  smiling  re 
ply,  as  he  took  the  note,  looked  at  the  face, 
and  then  turned  up  the  back.  The  moment  he 
saw  his  own  name  and  that  of  his  son-in-law, 
his  countenance  changed  so  suddenly  that 
every  member  of  the  Board  was  struck  with  the 
fact. 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  not,"  he  said,  rallying 
himself,  and  passing  the  note  along  with  a  pow 
erful  effort.  But  his  voice  had  in  it  something 
that  awakened  suspicion.  Before  the  note 
reached  the  last  man  at  the  table,  it  was  quietly 
turned  down  and  thrown  out.  But  no  word  of 
comment  accompanied  the  act.  By  a  strong 
effort  of  self-control,  Mr.  Ackland  was  enabled 
to  keep  his  place  at  the  Board,  and  take  his 
part  in  the  transaction  of  business.  But  the 
moment  he  was  beyond  the  observation  of  those 
in  whom  his  manner  had  too  evidently  aroused 
a  suspicion  of  the  truth,  he  felt  so  weak  that 
he  deemed  it  prudent  to  step  into  a  carriage 
and  order  himself  driven  home.  On  arriving 
at  his  house,  he  was  so  prostrated  that  he  could 
hardly  stand,  and  went  tottering  up  to  his 
chamber,  By  feigning  sickness,  he  deceived 
his  family  in  regard  to  the  true  cause  of  his  sud- 


128  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

den  loss  of  physical  strength.  A  little  rest  and 
quiet,  he  said,  would  soon  make  him  feel  bet 
ter  ;  and  his  wife,  at  his  particular  desire,  after 
bringing  him  a  glass  of  wine,  left  him  alone,  to 
think. 

It  was  a  long  time  ere  the  disturbed  elements 
of  Mr.  Ackland's  mind  were  enough  composed 
to  enable  him  to  think  clearly,  or  at  all  to  the 
purpose.  A  full  hour  elapsed,  before  he  came 
to  the  conclusion  to  send  for  his  son-in-law,  and 
charge  the  fact  of  his  guilt  directly  upon  him, 
and  represent  the  consequences  likely  to  follow 
the  rejection  of  the  paper  by  the  Board,  the 
members  of  which  must  have  inferred  the  true 
character  of  the  paper,  or  they  would  never 
have  thrown  it  out.  He  had  arisen  and  pre 
pared  a  note,  and  was  about  ringing  for  a  ser 
vant,  when  his  wife  entered  with  the  intelli 
gence  that  three  gentlemen  were  below  and 
wished  to  see  him.  His  heart  misgave  him  as 
to  their  errand. 

"  Tell  them  that  I  am  too  unwel1  to  bo  seen 
to-day,"  he  said. 

But  this  did  not  satisfy  the  visitors.  They 
said  their  business  was  urgent,  and  sent  up 
their  names.  They  were  men  with  whom  ha 
had  parted  but  an  hour  before. 

*'  Say  that  I  cannot  be  seen  to-day,"  Mr. 


CklMtt    DISCOVERED.  129 

Ackknd  returned  for  answer, 'and  the  deputa 
tion  from  the  Directors  of  the Bank,  foi 

such  the  men  were,  had  to  depart  without  the 
interview  they  had  come  to  hold. 

Immediately  after  their  departure,  the  note 
for  Riddell  was  dispatched.  Jt  was  of  a  tenor 
to  startle  him  with  vague  fears,  and  cause  him 
to  obey  the  summons  forthwith.  When  he 
entered  the  room  where  his  father-in-law  await 
ed  him,  the  appearance  of  that  individual  in  no 
way  tended  to  quiet  the  uneasiness  he  felt. 
He  was  pale,  and  walking  the  floor  in  an  agi 
tated  manner. 

",  What  has  happened,  Mr.  Ackland  ?"  said 
the  young  man  anxiously.  "  Why  are  you  so 
much  disturbed  ?" 

Mr.  Ackland  fixed  his  eyes  upon  Riddell, 
steadily,  and  looked  at  him,  until  the  gaze  of 
the  latter  fell  to  the  floor. 

"  You  needn't  ask  that,  Franklin,"  he  re 
plied,  in  a  stern  voice.  "  Look  at  your  own 
wrong  doings,  and  you  have  the  answer." 

"  My  wrong  doings,  sir  ?"  The  young  man 
affected  surprise  and  indignation,  even  while  a 
tremor  was  passing  thro.ugh  his  frame. 

"  Disguise  is  useless.  You  are  guilty  of 
orime,  and  that  crime  is — forgery  !" 

At  these  words  Riddell  became  instantly  as 


130  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE.    RICH 

pale  as  death,  and  sank  into  a  chair  with  a 
moan  of  irrepressible  anguish. 

"  Gracious  Heaven  !  And  the  husband  of 
my  child !"  ejaculated  Mr.  Ackland.  "  Poor 
Blanche  !  How  will  thy  pure,  true,  loving 
breast  be  torn  asunder !  Wretched  man ! 
Was  there  not  love  enough  in  thy  heart  for  her 
who  has  lain  in  thy  bosom,  to  save  thee  ?" 

Riddell,  with  his  hands  over  his  face,  had 
remained  where  he  had  sunk  down  powerless. 
He  felt  not  only  convicted,  but  condemned. 
The  charge  was  unequivocal,  and  covered,  in 
his  mind,  on  first  being  made,  the  entire  ground 
of  his  delinquency.  A  long  silence  followed, 
during  which  Mr.  Ackland  paced  the  floor  with 
a  heavy  tread,  and  Riddell  had  time  to  recover 
himself  and  begin  to  think.  Was  Mr.  Ackland 
acquainted  with  only  a  single  instance  of  his 
wrong,  or  did  he  know  all  ?  That  was  a  ques 
tion  of  the  utmost  importance  to  know.  And 
what  was  of  still  greater  moment,  was  this 
knowledge  confined  to  the  breast  of  Mr.  Ack 
land,  or  was  the  blasting  secret  of  his  guilt 
known  to  others  ?  He  feared  to  speak,  lest  he 
should  betray  more  thaj^  was  known,  and  this 
kept  him  for  a  longer  time  silent.  At  last, 
without  venturing  to  look  up,  he  said — 

"  Mr.  Ackland.  with   pain  I  have   to  own. 


CRIME    DISCOVERED.  131 

that,  driven  to  the  verge  of  bankruptcy,  1 
forged  your  name.  But,  it  is  but  justice  to 
myself  to  affirm,  that  it  was  "with  no  intention 
of  doing  wrong  to  you  or  any  one.  It  was  a 
temporary  expedient." 

"  That  may  cost  you  the  loss  of  liberty  and 
a  good  name,"  said  Mr.  Ackland,  with  bitter 
emphasis. 

Riddell  started  to  his  feet. 

"  Tell  me,  sir,"  he  said,  eagerly,  his  lips  qui 
vering,  and  his  whole  face  expressive  of  alarm, 
:<  is  your  dreadful  secret  known  to  others  ?" 

"  It  is  known  just  this  far,"  replied  Mr. 
Ackland,  speaking  with  forced  calmness ;  "  a 
note  drawn  by  somebody  in  your  favor,  and 
upon  which  you  had  forged  my  endorsement, 
came  before  the  board  to-day  for  discount.  I 
betrayed  the  fact  of  your  crime  by  the  pain  and 
surprise  my  face  must  have  exhibited  when  I 
saw  that  my  name  had  been  forged.  Acting 
upon  this,  the  note  was  rejected  by  the  board 
without  a  word  of  comment.  Since  I  have 
been  home,  three  of  the  directors  have  called, 
evidently  in  regard  to  the  note.  I  would  not 
see  them.  But  it  is  clear  they  more  than  sus 
pect  the  truth.  Franklin  !  Is  this  the  only 
instance  in  which  you  have  thus  stepped 

aside :" 

12 


132  .VAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

"  I  solemnly  affirm  that  it  is !"  said  the 
young  man,  unhesitatingly. 

11  If  so,  Riddeir,  exposure  may  be  prevented 
But  if  not — if  there  be  more  paper  out  upon 
which  you  have  forged  mine  or  any  other  name, 
your  destruction  is  inevitable.  Suspicion  is 
excited,  and  the  truth  will  come  to  light,  and 
that  speedily.  You  need  look  for  no  other 
result.  And  what  then  ?  You  cannot  hope 
to  escape  shame,  disgrace,  and  the  just  judg 
ment  of  the  law." 

The  knees  of  Riddell  smote  against  each 
other ;  yet  he  continued,  most  solemnly,  to 
affirm  that  he  was  guilty  only  in  the  single  in 
stance  where  discovery  had  been  made. 

After  a  long  conference  as  to  what  it  would 
be  best  to  do  to  allay  suspicion,  Riddell  left 
his  father-in-law,  glad  to  get  away,  that  he 
might  think,  undisturbed  by  his  rebuking  pre 
sence,  and  determine  what  course  of  action  it 
was  necessary  to  pursue.  But  the  more  he 
thought,  the  more  imminent  appeared  the  dan 
ger  with  which  he  was  threatened.  There  were 
more  than  fifty  bills  out,  upon  any  one  of  which 
he  could  be  found  guilty  of  forgery.  On  the 
very  next  day,  ten  thousand  dollars  had  to  be 
lifted,  the  failure  to  do  which  would  inevitably 
lead  to  his  exposure,  and  the  only  way  he  could 


CKfME    DISCOVERED.  133 

meet  the  payment  was  to  forgo  new  paj  er,  the 
negotiation  of  which  might  be  prevented  by 
the  whispered  suspicions  of  the  bank  directors 
going  like  electricity  through  the  business 
community. 

"  I  am  in  great  peril,"  said  the  unhappy 
man,  as  he  sat  musing  in  his  private  counting 
room.  "  After  having  toiled  so  hard — after 
having  fought  with  so  much  bravery  up  to  this 
position— is  all  to  be  lost '  My  wealth — my 
good  name  !  All !  all  !" 

A  shudder  went  through  him.  Some  one 
opened  the  door  of  the  counting  room  at  the 
moment.  He  turned  and  encountered  the  anx 
ious  face  of  Partridge. 

"  There  is  a  strange  rumor  abroad,  Riddell," 
said  the  intruder  abruptly — "  no  less  than  thai 
you  have  been  making  improper  use  of  your 
father-in-law's  name !" 

Riddell  forced  a  smile,  and  replied  with  as 
much  indifference  as  he  could  assume — 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  of  that.  But,  I  guess  it 
won't  do  much  harm.  Mr.  Ackland  forgot 
that  he  had  endorsed  a  certain  note  for  me,  and 
when,  two  months  afterwards,  it  was  sent  to  his 
bank  for  discount  by  the  party  to  which  I  had 
passed  it,  be  exhibited  some  surprise,  and  the 
sharp  old  chnps  who  preside  over  the  affairs  of 


134  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

the bank  immediately  supposed  they  had 

made  a  great  discovery.  He  said  nothing,  and 
they  said  nothing  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  board 
adjourned,  two  or  three  of  them  put  their  heads 
together  and  tried  to  make  out  a  case.  But,  1 
imagine,  they  know  the  truth  by  this  time." 

"  But,  it  is  said,  a  committee  called  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Ackland  to  ask  him  the  direct 
question  whether  he  had  or  had  not  endorsed 
the  note,  and  that  he  refused  to  see  them/  al 
though  they  sent  up  their  names." 

"  Is  it  possible  !  Preposterous  !  Can  any 
one  believe  this  ?  Why,  Mr.  Ackland  saw 
them,  and  told  them  that  the  endorsement  was 
genuine." 

"  He  did  ?" 

"  Certainly  he  did  !" 

"  It's  bad  business  though,  Riddell,  to  make 
the  best  of  it.  I  am  afraid  it  will  materially 
hurt  your  credit." 

"  I  dp  n't  think  so.  People  cannot  be  sim 
ple  enough  to  believe  so  unlikely  a  story." 

"  People  are  always  more  ready  to  believe 
harm  than  good  of  others. " 

"  To  some  extent,  I  know  they  are.  But 
the  truth  in  this  case  is  so  apparent  that  no  ono 
can  help  seeing  it.  It  troubles  me  but  little,  J 
can  assur*1  you." 


CRIME    D1SCOVERKL".  135 

The  face  and  tone  of  lliddell,  hard  as  he 
strove  to  disguise  his  real  feelings,  gave  the  lie 
to  his  words,  and  Partridge,  with  no  little  con 
cern  of  mind,  saw  that  it  was  so.  He  had  called 
to  see  Riddell,  under  the  faint  hope  that  he 
could  satisfy  him  that  there  was  som^  mistake  ; 
but  he  saw  that  all  was,  indeed,  too  true,  and 
that  the  downfall  of  his  associate  was  near  at 
hand — a  downfall  that  must  involve  him  to  an 
almost  ruinous  extent,  and  disclose  transactions 
that  would,  in  all  probability,  bring  down  upon 
his  head  the  bitter  execrations  of  an  injured 
community.  He  left  the  store  of  Riddell  in  no 
pleasant  state  of  mind  ;  but  with  the  paralyzing 
fear  settling  about  his  heart  that  there  was  no 
way  of  escape  from  the  storm,  which  he  saw 
sweeping  up  the  horizon  with  dark  and  threat 
ening  aspect. 

Alone  again,  Riddell  once  more  sank  into  a 
deep  and  gloomy  reverie. 

"  If  a  suspicion  of  the  truth  is  thus  flying 
from  lip  to  lip,"  he  at  length  murmured,  half 
aloud,  arousing  himself,  and  actually  wringing 
his  hands  as  he  spoke,  "  all  hope  is  lost.  There 
b  too  much  of  this  paper  out.  Before  to-mor 
row  noon,  a  dozen  notes  will  be  brought  to  Mr. 
Ackland  and  others,  to  know  if  the  endorse 
ments  upon  them  be  genuine;  and  before  to- 
12* 


136  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

morrow  night,  I  shall  be  under  arrest,  and  most 
likely  in  prison." 

Once  more  the  victim  of  an  inordinate  love 
of  gain  shuddered,  and  to  the  very  centre  of 
his  being. 

"  Before  to-morrow  night  ?"  he  resumed, 
after  a  pause.  "  It  may  be  before  to-night ! 
Even  now,  some  minion  of  the  law  may  be  in 
search  of  me!" 

And  he  started  up  quickly,  with  a  look  of 
fear  upon  his  countenance.  Opening  his  desk, 
he  transferred  to  his  pocket-book  several  pack 
ages  of  bank  bills,  and  then  hastily  left  the 
store. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONSEQUENCES. 

RIDDELL  did  not  come  home  to  dinner,  a  thing 
of  rare  occurrence,  and  his  wife  awaited  the  re 
turn  of  evening  with  feelings  of  anxiety  which 
she  could  not  shake  off.  A  sense  of  coming 
evil  oppressed  her.  A  shadow  was  upon  her 
heart,  and  a  weight  upon  her  bosom.  When 
any  one  rang  the  street  door  bell,  her  puke 


CONSEQUENCES.  137 

would  throb  quickly,  and  she  would  wait  and 
listen  with  an  anxiety  for  which  she  could  not 
account. 

At  length  the  dusky  twilight  came,  adding 
fear  to  anxiety.  She  stood  at  the  window  of 
her  splendid  home,  looking  eagerly  for  the 
form,  and  listening  for  the  step  of  her  husband. 
But  hundreds  went  by,  yet  he  appeared  not. 
As  darkness  took  the  place  of  twilight,  and  the 
troubled  wife  yet  remained  watching  at  the 
window,  every  throb  of  her  laboring  heart  was, 
to  her  own  ears,  distinctly  audible. 

A  man  at  last  paused,  looked  up  at  the  win 
dow  where  she  stood,  and  then  entered  the 
marble  portico  that  adorned  the  entrance  of 
the  dwelling.  It  was  not  her  husband.  The 
bell  was  rung,  a  servant  went  to  the  door,  and 
then  the  man  descended  slowly,  looked  up 
again  at  the  house,  and  passed  on.  There  was 
something  in  the  appearance  of  this  individual 
that  Mrs.  Riddell  did  not  like.  Why,  was  not 
even  inquired.  He  passed  from  sight  and  from 
thought,  but  he  had  left  an  impression  of  con 
cern  on  her  feelings.  Scarcely  five  minutes 
elapsed  before  she  saw  him  again  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  street,  walking  slowly  along, 
and  distinct  to  her  eyes  in  the  bright  rays  of  a 
gas  lamp  Ho  was  looking  over  at  the  house, 


138  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

and  after  passing  a  little  beyond  it,  paused, 
turned,  and  walked  slowly  back  to  a  point  as 
far  beyond  on  the  other  side,  and  then  return 
ed,  still  looking  over  as  if  watching  for  some 
one.  And  then  backwards  and  forwards  he 
continued  to  walk,  until  Mrs.  Riddell  became 
so  excited  with  a  vague  fear  of  something,  she 
knew  not  what,  that  she  was  unable  to  stand, 
and  sank  almost  fainting  upon  a  couch  near 
the  window. 

An  hour  longer,  and  still  the  husband  was 
away ;  and  still  the  strange  man  walked  slowly 
to  and  fro,  evidently  awaiting  his  arrival,  for 
he  had  asked  whether  he  were  at  home 

By  this  time  the  anxiety  of  Mrs.  Riddell  had 
become  so  intense,  that  she  sent  the  waiter  to 
ask  her  father  if  he  would  not  come  around 
immediately.  Such  a  summons  Mr.  Ackland 
was  not  slow  to  obey,  though  he  did  it  with  a 
trembling  heart.  He  had  not  seen  his  son-in- 
law  since  the  painful  interview  held  with  him 
on  that  day,  and,  in  fact,  had  not  been  out  of 
his  house  since  his  return  from  the  meeting  of 
the  Board  of  Directors,  at  which  he  had  made 
the  dreadful  discovery  of  Riddell's  guilt.  He 
was  not,  therefore,  apprised  of  the  fact  that  a 
dozen  startling  rumors  were  afloat,  alleging  a 
most  extensive  system  of  forgeries 


CONSEQUENCES.  139 

On  arriving  at  the-  house  of  his  daughter, 
and  while  he  yet  stood  within  the  portico  wait- 
ing  to  be  admitted,  a  man  came  quickly  across 
the  street,  and,  ascending  the  steps,  said,  with 
a  decided  tone  and  manner — 

"  Mr.  Riddell,  I  believe,  Sir." 

''  You  happen  to  be  in  error,"  was  replied. 
"  My  name  is  not  Riddell." 

The  man  looked  at  him  doubtingly,  for  a 
moment  or  two,  and  then  turned  away  as  the 
servant  opened  the  door.  Mrs.  Riddell  met 
her  father  in  the  hall  with  an  anxious  face. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Franklin  is  ?"  she 
asked. 

"  Is  he  not  home  yet  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Ack- 
land,  as  they  retired  into  one  of  the  drawing- 
rooms. 

"  No  ;  he  has  not  been  home  since  morn- 
ing." 

"  Indeed !"  The  way  in  which  that  single 
word  was  spoken,  expressed  more  of  surprise 
and  anxiety  than  Mr.  Ackland  meant  to  betray. 

"  Have  you  seen  him  ?"  asked  Blanche  in  a 
choking  voice. 

"  I  saw  him  about  twelve  o'clock  to-day 
Not  since.  Urgent  business  must  keep  him 
away.  Yon  know  he  has  a  great  deal  on  his 
hands." 


140  MAKING    HA1TE    TO    BE    RICH. 

"  Oh,  yes !  Far — far  too  much.  He  thinks 
of  nothing  but  business  through  the  day,  and, 
to  judge  of  the  many  words  that  fall  from  his 
lips  in  sleep,  dreams  of  nothing  else  through 
the  night.  But  business  has  never  kept  him 
away  for  so  long  a  time  before." 

Mr.  Ackland  did  not  like  the  appearance  of 
the  man  he  had  encountered  as  he  came  in. 
There  was  something  about  him  that  made  him 
think  of  kw,  courts,  and  prisons — something 
that  awoke  in  his  mind  the  fear  of  more  immi 
nent  danger  than  he  had  supposed  hung  over 
their  heads.  But  what  he  felt  he  had  to  conceal. 

"  Mr.  Riddell  will  certainly  be  home  soon," 
he  said,  because  he  had  to  say  something. 
"  Business,  of  course,  detains  him.  Hark ! 
Some  one  is  ringing  now." 

In  a  little  while  the  door  was  opened — they 
listened  breathlessly. 

"  Is  Mr.  Ackland  here  ?" 

The  father  of  Blanche,  on  hearing  his  OWE 
name  mentioned,  stepped  from  the  drawing 
room  into  the  hall. 

"  Mr.  Ackland !  Good  evening.  Can  we 
have  a  word  or  two  with  you  ?"  said  one  of  two 
men,  both  of  whom  he  knew  very  well ;  but  did 
not  know  how  deeply  they  were  involved  with 
his  son-in-law. 


CONSEQUENCES.  141 

Mr.  Ackland  stepped  out  into  the  portico, 
And  the  servant  left  the  door. 

"Have  you  seen  Mr.  Riddell  to-day?"  one 
of  the  men  asked. 

"  I  saw  him  this  morning,"  replied  Mr 
Ackland. 

"  He  is  not  at  home  now,  I  presume?" 

"  No.     He  has  not  come  in  yet." 

"  We  called  at  your  house  and  learned  that 
you  were  here,  and  took  the  liberty  of  coming 
around.  You  are,  of  course,  aware  that  there 
are  rumors  afloat,  touching  Mr.  Riddell,  of  a 
very  serious  character." 

"I  have  heard  nothing,"  replied  Mr.  Ack 
land,  a  sudden  tremor  passing  over  his  whole 
body. 

"  Nothing !  Why  it  is  in  every  mouth.  You 
meet  it  at  every  turn." 

"  I  have  not  been  out  until  now,  since  morn 
ing.  But  tell  me,  for  heaven's  sake,  gentlemen, 
to  what  you  allude  !  What  is  involved  in  these 
rumors?" 

"  Extensive  forgeries.  Not  only  upon  you, 
but  upon  many  others.'' 

Mr.  Ackland  leaned  against  a  marble  pillar 
to  support  himself. 

u  It  is  also  said,  that  he  was  seen  leaving  the 
city  by  the  afternoon  train  of  cars." 


142  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    KICK 

"  Whose  name  has  he  used  besides  mir.e  ?" 
asked  Mr.  Ackland,  in  a  low,  mournful  voice. 

"  The  name  of  Barker  &  Co.;  Martin  & 
Jones ;  Amos  Avermore  ;  and  others  that  I  do 
not  recollect,"  replied  one  of  the  men. 

"  May  there  not  be  some  mistake  ?"  asked 
Mr.  Ackland. 

"  No.  We  have  seen  the  parties  named,  and 
all  state  that  paper  has  been  brought  to  them 
during  this  day  to  know  if  the  endorsements 
thereon  were  genuine  ;  and  that  they  had  pro 
nounced  them  forgeries." 

A  deep  groan  escaped  the  lips  of  the  unhappy 
man,  upon  whoso  ears  this  dreadful  intelligence 
smote. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  at  length  said,  speaking 
with  all  the  calmness  he  could  assume,  "  if  this 
be  all  tme,  for  what  purpose  have  you  called 
upon  me  ?*' 

"  Simply  in  the  hope  that  you  could  give  us 
some  testimony  to  put  in  the  other  scale. 
Have  you  any  ?" 

"  I  have  none,"  was  the  sadly  spoken  answer. 

The  men  bowed  and  retired. 

"  Oh,  father !"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Riddell, 
falling  into  the  arms  of  Mr.  Ackland,  as  he 
came  back  into  the  hall.  She  had  followed 
him  from  the  drawing  room,  and  standing  near 


THE    FINAL    CATASTROPHE.  143 

the  door,  heard  the  blasting  accusation  brought 
against  her  husband. 

"  It  is  all  false  !  Speak,  father  !  It,  is  all 
false  !" 

The  mute  lips  of  Mr.  Ackland  quivered — 
they  would  not,  they  could  not  give  the  lie  to 
what  was  in  his  mind — nor  utter  a  word  of  con 
firmation.  But  his  silence  was  conclusive  to 
the  mind  of  Blanche.  A  faint  cry  of  anguish, 
a  deep  shudder,  a  low  choking  sob,  and  the 
stricken  wife  lay  in  the  arms  of  her  father 
pale,  cold,  and  insensible. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE     FINAL    CATASTROPHE. 

PARTRIDGE  and  two  others  sat  in  earnest  con 
ference  early  on  the  morning  following.  A 
newspaper  was  in  the  hand  of  the  former,  and 
ho  had  just  read  the  following  paragraph : — 

"  PAINFUL  RUMOR. — Commercial  and  money 
circles  were  rife  yesterday  with  rumo  s  ••!'  ex 
tensive  forgeries  committed  by  an  individual 
who  has  stood  high  in  the  confidence  of  the 
coinLuinity.  We  iiave  been  at  some  pains  to 
13 


144  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

got  at  the  facts  of  the  case  ;  but  statements  are 
yet  too  vague  to  warrant  our  giving  anything 
specific.  It  is  said,  however,  that  the  guilty 
person  is  deeply  concerned  with  one  or  two 
money  institutions,  and  that  some  startling  dis 
closures  may  be  expected.  Attempts  w.ere 
made,  during  the  afternoon  and  evening,  to 
arrest  the  individual  charged  with  this  high 
crime,  but  he  could  not  be  found.  He  has, 
probably,  left  the  city.  But  he  will  hardly 
escape." 

"Ruin!  inevitable  ruin  tons  all!"  he  ex 
claimed,  striking  his  fist  with  great  violence 
upon  a  table  near  which  he  sat.  "  The  cursed 
villain  !  Wasn't  he  making  money  fast  enough, 
that  he  must  commit  a  crime  in  order  to  swell 
his  gains.  Madness !" 

Bitter  were  the  imprecations  that  fell  from 
the  lips  of  his  companions  ;  and  they  raged, 
impotently,  for  a  time,  like  wild  beasts  sud 
denly  caged. 

"  All  is  lost !"  resumed  Partridge,  as  he 
hurriedly  paced  the  floor.  "  It  will  be  impos 
sible  for  us,  now,  to  keep  the  bank  afloat.  His 
connexion  with  it  cannot  fail  to  be  known,  and 
the  public  will  crush  it  at  a  word.  Then  tot 
ters  and  falls  the  '  Mutual  Savings'  Fund,' 
and  the  *  Union  Insurance  Company,'  over 
whelming  us  in  ruin,  and  bringing  upon  our 


THE    FINAL    CATASTROPHE  1  lO 

heads  the  execrations,  perhaps  the  vengeance 
of  a  wronged  community." 

"  Shall  we  let  all  go  without  a  struggle  ?" 
asked  one  of  the  men. 

"  All  struggles  must  be  vain,  and  weaken 
our  power  of  eniurance  in  the  final  catastro 
phe,"  replied  Partridge.  "  As  for  me,  I  find 
myself  on  Riddell's  paper  for  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  and  I  suppose  you  are  both  more  or  less 
involved  with  him  in  the  same  way.  Last  night 
I  ascertained  that  the  '  Union'  has  nearly  a  hun 
dred  thousand  dollars  of  paper  discounted  for 
him  ;  and  from  carefully  going  over  all  of  it,  I 
have  a  very  strong  suspicion  that  at  least  one- 
half  is  forged.  A  heavy  amount  of  post  notes 
loaned  on  this  immense  sum  have  been  dis 
counted  in  the  '  Mutual  Savings'  Fund,'  which 
is  already  so  hard  pressed  that  it  can  with  diffi 
culty  keep  afloat.  A  breath  of  alarm  will 
bring  a  run  by  depositors  and  holders  of  the 
issue  payable  at  her  counter,  and  stop  her 
wheels  in  a  day.  Gentlemen  !  it  is  useless  for 
us  to  shut  our  eyes  to  the  truth.  We  have 
ridden  these  three  concerns  so  hard,  that  they 
have  not  enough  strength  left  to  carry  us  in 
safety  beyond  the  present  danger.  But  for 
Riddell's  mad  conduct,  all  would  have  gone  on 
well.  We  could  have  foreseen  an  approaching 


146  MAKING    HASTE    T«    BE    RICH. 

storm,  and  bidden  ourselves.  But  now  the 
tempos!  is  over  our  heads,  and  there  is  no  shel 
ter  under  which  we  can  withdraw  and  await  until 
it  has  spent  its  fury." 

Already  had  Partridge  hitteriy  cursed  his 
own  folly  in  tempting  his  associate  to  commit 
the  very  crime  that  was  about  proving  the  ruin 
of  all.  It  is  a  question  whether  he  has  ever 
forgotten  the  "  Autobiography  of  John  Ketch," 
Fauntleroy's  forgeries,  or  Doctor  Dodd's  un 
happy  fate.  He  has  had  cause,  as  well  as 
his  victim,  to  remember  them,  for  the  pit  he 
digged  for  another  he  fell  into  himself. 

All  further  struggles,  as  Partridge  said,  were 
"useless.  By  a  kind  of  instincMhe  connexion  of 
Riddell  with  the  "Eagleton  Bank,"  "  Mutual 
Savings'  Fund,"  and  "  Union  Insurance  Com 
pany,"  was  known  in  the  community.  On  the 
day  after  he  fled  in  alarm — a  fact,  doubtless  in 
ferred  by  the  reader — the  notes  of  the  bank 
were  refused  by  the  brokers,  and  at  once  be 
came  uncurrent.  Holders  of  those  payable  at 
the  counter  of  the  "  Mutual  Savings'  Fund," 
crowded  in  with  them  for  redemption.  By  ex 
traordinary  efforts,  the  officers  of  the  "  Savings' 
Fund"  sustained  the  run  during  the  day,  Knd 
closed  its  doors  never  again  to  re-open  them. 
On  .the  day  following,  the  "  Union  Insurance 


THE    FINAL    CATASTROPHE.  14? 

Company"  suspended  payment  on  its  post  notes, 
Bnd  time  enough  thereafter  to  hear  from  Eagle- 
ton,  only  elapsed,  before  intelligence  came  that 
the  bank  had  stopped. 

As  usual  on  such  occasions,  advertisements 
were  inserted  in  the  papers,  warning  the  holders 
of  notes  not  to  sacrifice  them,  as  each  of  the 
three  concerns  had  ample  resources  for  the  pay 
ment  of  everything  due.  But  these  did  not 
prevent  Eagleton  Bank  Stock  from  going  down 
to  its  old  rate  of  five  or  six  dollars  a  share,  nor 
enable  those  who  wished  to  sell  the  bills  to  get 
over  twenty  cents  on  the  dollar  for  them,  at 
which  rate  they  were  bought  up  for  those  who 
owed  the  bank. 

In  the  midst  of  the  excitement  attendant  on 
these  events,  Riddell  was  brought  back  to  the 
city,  and  committed  for  trial.  He  had  reached 
New  Orleans,  and  was  about  embarking  for 
Havana,  when  arrested.  So  incensed  were  the 
people  against  him,  that  it  was  deemed  best  by 
his  friends  to  let  him  remain  in  prison  for  a 
time,  to  insure  immunity  from  personal  vio 
lence. 

The  truth  in  regard  to  the   Eagleton  Bank 

soon  became  fully  apparent,  and  the  connexion 

of  those  who  had  engaged  in  the  traud  upon 

the  public,  understood  in  the  community.    Part- 

13* 


MS  MAKING    HAS1E    TO    BE   RICH. 

tridge  was  debtor  to  the  institution  to  an  amount 
reaching  nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  and  Riddell  nearly  as  much  more,  the 
security  for  which  was  an  hypothecation  of  their 
own  stock  in  the  Bank,  and  also  of  stock  in  the 
"  Union  nsurance  Company,"  besides  fancy 
stocks  bought  at  a  mere  song,  and  hypothecated 
at  their  par  value.  As  for  the  "  Mutual  Savings' 
Fund,"  there  was  nothing  in  the  shape  of  actual 
property  to  show.  Plenty  of  "  Union  Insur 
ance  Company's"  post  notes,  were  on  hand, 
and  notes  of  Partridge,  Riddell,  and  others,  who 
had  stopped  payment  on  the  failure  of  the 
"Bank,"  "Fund,"  and  "  Company."  De 
positors  lost  everything,  and  many  a  poor  man 
and  friendless  widow  saw  hundreds  of  dollars, 
that  were  deemed  as  safe  as  if  they  had  possessed 
the  amount  in  gold,  melt  from  before  their 
eyes,  like  frost  work  in  the  morning  sun. 

It  would  add  nothing  to  the  force  of  the  les 
son  this  simple  narrative — in  which  not  a  few 
will  recognise  more  of  fact  iuan  fancy — is  in 
tended  to  impress  upon  the  mind,  were  touch 
ing  instances  of  distress,  occasioned  by  the 
high-handed  villany  detailed,  to  be  presented 
to  the  reader.  Enough  of  these  occurred  to 
sicken  the  heart,  and  wring  from  hundreds  deep 


THE    FINAL    CATASTROPHE.  143 

curses  upon  the  authors  of  the  wrong  they  had 
sustained. 

lu  the  midst  of  the  earnest  struggles  n  ad« 
by  Partridge  to  disentangle  himself  from  the 
meshes  ia  which  he  was  involved,  and  save 
something  handsome  from  the  ruins,  even 
though  his  good  name  were  lost,  he  was  arrest 
ed  on  a  charge  of  swindling,  and  held  to  bail 
for  trial.  This  broke  him  down ;  for  it  made 
the  prosecution  of  what  he  was  doing  the  very 
means  of  convicting  him.  All,  therefore,  was 
lost  to  him,  for  to  save  himself  from  the  dan 
ger  of  conviction  on  the  charge  brought,  he 
gave  up  everything  for  the  benefit  of  creditors, 
and  thus  escaped  the  legal  punishment  of  his 
nefarious  deeds.  When  he  left  the  court-house , 
at  the  close  of  a  long  trial,  he  left  it  poor  and 
friendless.  None  pitied  him  ;  none  took  him 
by  the  hand.  Even  his  old  and  more  fortunate 
associates  turned  their  backs.  Broken  in  spirits, 
despised  and  in  poverty,  he  was  left  to  eat, 
alone,  the  bitter  fruits  of  repentance  ;  though, 
we  fear,  it  was  not  unto  life ;  for  such  men 
rarely  repent  of  their  evil  deeds,  but  only  of 
the  errors  by  which  ruin  was  dragged  down  upon 
their  beads. 


150        MAKING  HASTE  TO  BE  RICH 
CHAPTER  XV. 

SADDER    EVENTS. 

IF  men  were  alcne  doomed  to  bear  the  uonse* 
quences  of  their  actions,  we  could  see  those 
consequences  visited  upon  them  without  the 
acute  pain  we  now  too  frequently  feel.  But, 
alas  !  it  almost  always  happens,  that  the  inno 
cent  suffer  far  more  deeply  than  the  guilty.  It 
was  so  in  the  case  of  Franklin  Riddell.  From 
the  moment  the  terrible  accusations  brought 
against  her  husband,  reached  the  ears  of  his 
wife,  she  felt  as  if  a  hand  had  grasped  her 
heart,  and  tightened  upon  it  every  hour  with  a 
crushing  force.  She  did  not  refuse  to  be  com 
forted,  for  none  sought  to  mock  her  with  vain 
words.  The  truth  was  too  dreadful  to  admit 
of  disguise  or  palliation.  Misfortune  she  could 
have  borne,  no  matter  how  severe,  and  shrunk 
closer  and  more  lovingly  to  her  husband's  side. 
Affliction  could  not  have  crushed  her  heart, 
even  though  they  had  left  it  widowed  ;  for  fehe 
would  have  looked  up  to  heaven  and  said, — 
"  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  what  scemeth  Him 
good."  But  crime  ! — crime  committed  by  one 
whose  name  she  bore — whose  honor  was  dearer 


8ADDEK    EVENIb.  151 

than  life — this  was  too  much  !  This  was  more 
than  she  had  received  strength  to  endure,  and 
she  never  lifted  her  bowed  head  again.  On 
the  day  her  husband  was  brought  oack  to  the 
city  to  answer  to  the  law  for  his  evil  deeds, 
she  lay  with  white  flowers  upon  her  motionless 
breast — and  it  was  better  for  her  that  she  did. 

After  the  death  of  his  daughter,  Mr.  Ackland 
permitted  himself  to  feel  no  more  interest  in 
one  who  had  proved  himself  unworthy  of  all 
honest  men's  regard.  When  the  popular  ex 
citement  had  so  far  died  away,  that  it  was  pre 
sumed  that  Riddell  could  appear  without  dan 
ger  of  personal  violence,  Mr.  Ackland  was  ap 
plied  to  to  enter  into  recognizance  in  the 
sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars  for  his  appearance 
to  answer  the  charge  against  him,  but  he  de 
clined,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  Riddell 
remained  in  prison  until  the  day  of  his  trial. 
There  were  those  who  blamed  Mr.  Ackland, 
and  spoke  of  him  as  governed  by  a  spirit  of  vin- 
dictiveness  towards  Ids  unfortunate  son-in-law. 
There  might  have  been  something  of  this  in  it, 
or  there  might  not. 

A  month  after  the  mother  died,  her  babo 
sighed  out  its  feeble  breath,  and  was  laid  in  its 
little  coffin  beside  the  mouldering  remains  of 
her  who  had  given  it  life ;  and  before  the 


152  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

wretched  father  was  arraigned  to  answer  far 
his  crime,  his  boy  was  taken  from  the  earth. 
Blanche,  the  eldest  child,  only  remained,  and 
she  was  yet  too  young  to  understand  how  much 
she  had  lost,  or  to  be  aware  of  the  foul  dis 
grace  that  her  father  had  brought  upon  his 
name. 

Immediately  after  Riddell  left  the  city,  on 
becoming  aware  that  a  discovery  of  his  mis 
deeds  was  inevitable,  measures  were  taken  by 
his  principal  credftors  that  gave  them  posses 
sion  of  his  property,  to  be  held  for  the  benefit 
of  all  who  had  claims  against  him.  This 
placed  every  thing  beyond  his  control,  so  that 
after  his  arrest,  be  could  command,  by  means 
of  his  representative,  but  little,  if  any  money. 
When  his  trial  finally  came  on,  he  had  no  pow 
erful  individual  or  money  interest  to  sustain 
him.  He  could  not  say  to  his  lawyers,  "  Here 
are  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  thousand  dollars,  it  is 
yours  if  I  am  cleared," — and  no  onp  cared 
enough  for  him  to  say  it  in  his  stead.  When 
Mr.  Ackland  was  urged  to  come  forward  and 
try  to  serve  him,  his  reply  was — 

"  No.     He  has  violated  the  law.     Let  the 
law  vindicate  itself,  and  if  he  were  my  own  son, 
I  would  not  turn  a  finger  to  save  him  from  con 
sequences  so  richly  merited." 


THE    PRISONER    FREE.  153 

The  trial  commenc3d  and  soon  terminated. 
All  the  evidence  was  conclusive,  as  to  the  mat 
ter  of  forgery  ;  and  other  frauds  were  distinctly 
proved.  The  Judge,  at  the  close  of  the  pro 
ceedings,  charged  the  jury  that  every  point  in 
the  indictment  had  been  clearly  affirmed,  and 
that  a  verdict  to  that  effect  must  necessarily  be 
found ;  and  the  jury,  without  retiring,  so  de 
clared  a  verdict. 

Two  days  afterwards,  Riddell  was  brought  be 
fore  the  Court  and  sentenced  to  ten  years'  im 
prisonment,  five  in  solitary  confinement  and 
five  at  hard  labor. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE    PRISONER     FREE. 

TEN  years — how  long  a  period  to  some;  how 
brief  to  others — ten  years  at  last  rolled  round, 
and  the  imprisoned  one  was  set  free.  He  had 
paid,  even  to  the  last  farthing,  the  penalty 
laid  upon  him  by  the  violated  law  of  his  coun 
try.  For  five  long,  long,  weary  years,  he  had 
not  seen  the  face  of  a  living  soul  but  that  of  his 
keeper ;  and  for  five  more  years  he  toiled 


154  MAKING   HASTE   TO    BE   RICH. 

men  of  crime,  like  himself,  some  with  deeper 
stains  upou  them,  and  some  more  innocent. 
In  all  that  time  he  had  heard  nothing  of  what 
was  going  on  in  the  busy  world  without.  No 
word  had  come  to  him  from  friend  or  foe.  He 
was  as  a  dead  man  to  those  who  had  known  him, 
and  they  left  him  in  his  tomb  unvisited. 

The  death  of  his  -wife,  and  subsequently  of 
two  of  his  children,  he  knew.  Intelligence  of 
these  sad  events  reached  him  immediately  on 
their  occurrence,  and  deep  was  the  grief  and 
bitter  the  feelings  of  remorse  they  awakened. 
But  they  were  buried,  and  he  saw  them  not. 
Of  the  other  child — of  Blanche,  who  had  her 
mother's  gentle  face  and  loving  heart — he  had 
not  heard  since  the  prison  gates  shut  themselves 
between  him  and  the  outer  world.  She  might 
be  living  or  she  might  be  dead — he  knew  not. 

But  these  prison  gates  were  at  last  opened, 
and  the  humbled  man  went  forth,  but  with  no 
feeling  of  exultation  on  regaining  his  liberty. 
There  were  no  friends  to  receive  him  who  would 
pity  or  forgive  the  past.  No  home  to  which 
he  could  go  and  hide  himself  for  a  time.  No 
fortune,  although  he  had  spent  years  of  inces 
sant  toil  and  anxious  care  in  striving  for 
gain,  awaited  him.  All — all  he  had  struggled 
for  was  lost. 


THE    PRISONER    FREE.  155 

Riddell  went  forth  and  breathed  again  the 
free  air;  but  his  breast  was  no  lighter.  He 
walked  the  street  among  freemen,  but  no  hap 
pier  than  when  he  was  a  prisoner.  Only  a  day 
before,  his  heart  bounded  at  the  thought  of 
liberty — now  it  lay  like  a  heavy  weight  in  his 
bosom.  . 

He  thought  of  his  child.  Was  she  living  ? 
and  should  he  go  to  her,  and  smite  her  innocent 
young  heart  with  his  presence  ?  He  felt  au 
intense  yearning  to  see  her  ;  but  something 
whispered  to  him  that  he  ought  not  to  search 
her  out.  If  she  still  lived,  she  had  doubtless 
been  taught  to  think  of  him  as  dead,  and  the 
truth  might  kill  her,  as  it  had  killed  her  mo 
ther. 

Slowly  he  walked  the  streets  of  his  native 
city  ;  but  how  busy  had  been  the  hand  of 
change.  He  saw  but  few  countenances  that  he 
remembered  ; — none  knew  him. 

Urged  by  a  feeling  that  he  could  not  repress, 
he  at  last  took  his  way  to  the  part  of  the  town 
where  he  had  erected  his  elegant  mansion.  A 
stranger's  name  was  on  the  door  where  his  had 
once  been.  He  moved  on  with  a  deep  sigh. 
Not  far  from  this  stood  a  large  and  beauti 
ful  dwelling ;  as  he  passed  by,  he  read  the  name 

of  MORRIS  JORDAN.   Tbo  steps  of  the  unhappy 
14 


156  MAKI1W    HASTE    TO    BE    BICH. 

man  were  quickened ;  his  teeth  were  firmly  set 
and  his  hand  clenched. 

"  Fool !  fool !"  he  muttered,  as  he  want 
hurriedly  along.  "  I  was  a  madman !"  he  add 
ed  in  a  little  while,  sadly,  and  again  his  steps 
lingered.  Suddenly  his  eyes  rested  upon  a 
young  and  beautiful  face  at  a  window  He 
paused  but  for  an  instant,  and  then  almost 
sprang  away  Was  it  the  face  of  her  who  had 
lain  in  his  bosom  ?  Was  it  a  vision  ?  No.  It 
was  the  face .of  his  child  ! — of  Blanche,  just  in 
the  bloom  and  beauty  of  life's  early  spring 
time.  Sixteen  summers  had  smiled,  and  six 
teen  winters  blown  upon  her  young  cheeks,  and 
both  had  brightened  them 

Riddell's  heart  beat  wildly,  and  his  brain 
was,  for  a  time,  all  in  confusion.  Yes,  it  was 
bis  child.  His  eyes  had  seen  her.  She  was 
yet  alive,  and — happy.  Oh !  with  what  intense- 
ness  did  he  long  to  take  her  to  his  bosom ;  but, 
he  felt  that  she  was  too  pure  to  be  touched  by 
him — that  he  had  no  right  to  step  forth  and 
curse  her  with  his  presence.  His  was  a  wild, 
wild  struggle.  But  he  conquered.  Yet,  daj 
after  day,  and  night  after  night,  for  more  than 
a  week,  would  he  go  by  her  home,  now  and 
then  getting  a  sight  of  her  face,  and  sometimes 
hearing  her  sweet  voice — he  knew  it  was  hei 


THE    PRISONER    FREE.  157 

voice,  it  was  so  like  one  that  had  been  hushed 
for  years — warbling  like  the  voice  of  a  happy 
bird. 

At  last  he  resolved  to  tear  himself  away ;  for 
he  felt,  that  if  he  staid  much  longer,  he  would 
not  have  power  to  go.  Far  off,  in  some  west 
ern  city,  it  was  his  purpose  to  seek,  under  an 
assumed  name,  an  honest  livelihood.  On  the 
day  previous  to  the  one  fixed  upon  for  his  de 
parture,  he  passed  the  house  of  his  child  more 
than  twenty  times,  with  the  hope  of  seeing  her 
face  once  more,  perhaps  for  the  last  time. 
But  the  shutters  were  closed,  and  so  remained. 

"  I  must  look  upon  her  again,"  he  murmur 
ed,  as  he  went  by  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Ackland, 
and  still  found  the  windows  shut.  "  I  cannot 
go  until  I  have  seen  that  face  once  more." 

The  unhappy  man  had  scarcely  uttered  these 
words,  when  his  eyes  rested,  a  short  distance 
in  advance,  upon  Mr.  Ackland,  who  looked 
twenty  years  older  than  when  he  last  saw  him ; 
and  upon  his  arm  leaned  a  sylph-like  form.  It 
was  Blanche,  looking  fairer,  and  purer,  and 
happier,  than  she  had  yet  appeared  in  his  eyes. 
His  knees  tottered — his  heart  grew  still — his 
feet  refused  to  obey  the  impulse  of  his  mind-  - 
and  ha  stood  with  his  eyes  riveted  upon  the 
face  of  one  he  yearned  with  an  intense  desire 


158  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

to  clasp  to  his  bosom,  but  dared  not.  She  did 
not  notice  him,  but  passed  on.  He  turned  and 
followed  her  with  his  eyes,  until  she  was  hid 
den  from  view  by  the  crowd ;  and  then,  groan 
ing  in  the  anguish  of  his  spirit,  moved  slowly 
on.  He  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  a 
hand  was  laid  upon  his  shoulder.  Turning 
quickly,  he  stood  face  to  face  with  Mr.  Ack- 
land,  who  had  recognised  him  as  they  passed. 
For  some  moments  the  two  men  looked  intently 
at  each  other,  both  trembling  violently. 

"  Come,"  said  Mr.  Ackland  at  length,  lay 
ing  his  hand  upon  the  arm  of  Riddell ;  and 
they  walked  silently,  side  by  side,  for  the  dis 
tance  of  three  or  four  blocks,  and  then  entered 
a  hotel.  Mr.  Ackland  called  for  a  room,  and 
in  a  brief  space  they  were  alone.  By  this  time 
Riddell  had  regained  his  self-possession. 

"  I  am,  doubtless,  the  last  man  you  expected 
or  wished  to  meet,"  he  said,  with  some  firm 
ness,  breaking  the  silence  that  had  been  main 
tained  on  both  sides,  up  to  this  point,  while  he 
looked  full  and  steadily  in  the  face  of  Mr.  Ack 
land. 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  your  term  had  ex 
pired,"  was  answered.  u  I  have  looked  for 
ward  to  the  time  as  anxiously,  perhaps,  as  your 
self  For  what  reason,  I  need  not  say.  I  did 


THK    PRISONER    FREE  159 

hope,  that  when  again  free,  you  would  at  once 
leave  this  city.  But  it  seems  I  have  erred.  A 
week  at  least  has  elapsed,  and  you  are  still 
here  " 

"  Do  you  blame  me  for  lingering  ?"  asked 
Riddell  in  a  voice  that  trembled.  "  Do  you 
wonder  that  I  found  it  almost  impossible  to  tear 
myself  away  ?" 

"  Perhaps  I  should  not,"  said  Mr.  Ackland, 
touched  by  the  tone  and  manner  of  Riddell. 

"  Tell  me  one  thing,"  said  the  latter,  after  a 
pause,  speaking  earnestly.  "  Does  Blanche 
know  anything  of  my  unhappy  history  ?  Doea 
she  know  that  I  am  alive  ?" 

"  She  does  not.  She  was  but  a  child  when 
those  terrible  events  happened." 

"  Crime,  then,  is  not  associated  in  her  mind 

with  the  name  of  her  father  ?" 
«  No  » 

"  May  the  blessing  of  heaven  rest  upon 
you !"  ejaculated  Riddell,  catching  hold  of 
Mr.  Ackland's  hand,  and  pressing  it  warmly. 
The  old  man  \flas  visibly  moved. 

"  Daily,  for  a  week,"  resumed  Riddell, 
"  have  I  passed  your  house  many  times,  to  get 
a  look  at  the  face  of  my  child,  and  night  aftei 
night  have  I  stood  beneath  your  windows,  that 

I  might  hear  the  sound  of  her  voice,  sad  as  the 
14* 


160  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

tones  made  me  feel ;  all  th$  while  struggling  tc 
tear  myself  away,  without  the  power  to  do  so. 
Oh,  sir,  if  you  knew  how  I  long  to  take  iny 
child  in  my  arms,  you  would  pity  me  ;  for  I 
cannot  do  so  without  making  dark  the  light  in 
her  happy  eyes,  and  that  I  will  not  do.  Ten 
years,  sir,  is  a  long  time  for  a  man  to  suffer 
and  repent ;  and  it  is  hard,  after  all  is  over,  to 
go  forth  again  into  the  world,  and  not  find  one 
who  will  forgive  all,  and  love  through  all.  My 
child  would  forgive  all,  even  if  she  knew  all, 
and  love  me  still ;  but  selfish  as  I  am,  I  will  not 
ask  that  of  her,  for  she  cannot  forgive  me  and 
love  me  without  knowing  all — and  that  know 
ledge  would  be  gained  at  too  dear  a  cost,  Mr. 
Ackland !  I  know  that  you,  as  well  as  hun  - 
dreds,  have  execrated  my  name  ;  and  yet  I 
aever  intended  to  wrong  any  one,  when,  under 
strong  temptation,  I  resorted  to  the  mode  of 
raising  money  that  proved  my  ruin.  I  believed 
that,  by  this  means  I  would  be  able  to  carry 
through  my  scheme  of  money-making,  and  se 
cure  the  great  fortune  I  was  so  eager  to  gain  ; 
and,  through  all,  lift  myself  the  paper  I  creat 
ed.  But  the  unfortunate  discovery  you  made, 
and  the  involuntary  betrayal  thereof,  destroyed 
everything.  And  have  I  not  suffered  for  my 
folly  ' — a.ye,  have  I  not  suffered  enough  ?  Even 


THE    PRISONER    FREE.  161 

you  would  think  so — even  you  would  pity  me 
— if  you  could  know  all  I  have  endured  since 
last  you  saw  me." 

And  Mr.  Ackland  did,  from  his  heart,  pity 
the  unhappy  man,  much  as  h  e  had  suffered  from 
his  folly  and  crime.  1'hat  he  had  not  come 
forth  from  prison  cold  and  hardened,  was  a  re 
lief  to  him. 

"  I  know  you  love  Blanche  as  if  she  were 
your  own  child,"  said  Riddell,  after  a  brief 
silence.  "  How  can  you  help  loving  her.  And 
yet  you  have  others  to  love.  She  is  my  child, 
and  all  that  is  left  to  me  in  the  world " 

A  choking  sob  interrupted  his  utterance,  bul 
he  struggled  with  himself  and  regained  his 
o  jmposure. 

"  If  she  were  with  me — if  I  could  come  to 
her  as  from  a  far  country — nay,  even  if  my 
appearing  were  with  a  confession  of  former 
wrong  doings,  long  and  bitterly  repented — I 
know  sha  would  love  me,  and  that  love  would 
be  to  me  like  a  gushing  spring  to  the  traveller 
iust  perishing  with  thirst.  Do  you  think  this 
might  be  done  ?  Pity  me,  and  have  regard  foi 
me." 

Mr.  Ackland  was  deejn y  n    vcd. 

"  1  am  not  all  evil,  sir,"  resumed  Riddell 
"  Widely  as  I  strayed,  ur.der  strong  tempta- 


162  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH 

turns  —  selfish  and  disgraceful  of  the  good  of 
others  as  I  proved  myself  to  be  when  filled  with 
the  lust  of  gain — long-suffering  has  brought  re 
pentance  ;  and  now,  in  thinking  of  my  child, 
the  good  resolutions  that  have  been  forming  in 
my  mind  gain  strength.  Oh  !  if  we  could  be 
restored  to  each  other,  without  wrong  to 
her." 

"  That  could  hardly  be ;  and  yet  I  will 
think,"  replied  Mr.  Ackland,  in  a  softened 
tone.  "  You  are  without  money,  of  course," 
he  said,  after  a  few  moments. 

"  Except  a  small  sum  which  I  kept  through 
my  long  confinement.  But  tell  me  what  was 
the  result  in  the  settlement  of  my  affairs  by 
those  wao  took  charge  of  them  ?" 

"  A  large  dividend  was  paid." 

"  It  is  well.  There  was  enough,  and  more 
than  enough  to  pay  all  that  I  owed,  if  I  could 
have  settled  it  myself." 

"  You  need  some  help  now,"  said  Mr.  Ack 
land.  "  Your  dress  must  be  improved.  Here 
we  a  hundred  dollars.  Get  suitable  clothing 
immediately.  To-morrow  I  will  see  you  again. 
By  that  time  I  will  be  able  to  think  to  better 
purpose  than  I  can  now." 

Riddell  seized  the  hand  of  Mr.  Ackland,  and 
said,  with  deep  emotion — 


THE    PR160NER    FREE.  163 

"  Oh,  sir !  can  you  forgive  me  for  all  the 
Buffering  my  folly  has  occasioned  you  ?" 

"  The  past  is  past,"  replied  Mr.  Ackland, 
trying  to  speak  with  composure  ;  u  I  trust  that 
what  I  have  suffered  has  not  steeled  my  heart. 
If  there  be  forgiveness  in  God,  man  ought  not 
to  harden  himself  against  his  fellow  man  who 
repents." 

Riddell  bowed  his  head  and  wept  like  a 
chUd. 

"  To-morrow,  at  this  time,  and  in  this  place, 
1  will  meet  you  again,"  said  Mr.  Ackland, 
rising. 

"  No,  not  here,"  returned  Riddell,  naming 
another  place  ;  and  the  two  men  parted,  with 
far  different  feelings  than  when  they  met. 

At  the  next  interview,  it  was  arranged  that 
Riddell  should  leave  the  city  without  seeing  his 
daughter,  and  go  to  a  certain  small  town  in  the 
West,  and  there  commence  business  for  himself 
on  a  small  capital  advanced  by  Mr.  Ackland, 
and  leave  with  him  the  task  of  breaking  to 
Blanche,  at  a  proper  time,  the  fact  that  her 
father  was  living.  This  design  was  at  once 
carried  out,  and  Riddell  departed  from  hia 
native  city,  to  seek  a  home  far  off  and  among 
strangers. 


164  MAKING   HASTE  TO    BE   RICH 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

CONCLUSION. 

ONE  evening,  about  a  year  after  Riddell's  re 
lease  from  imprisonment,  Mr.  Ackland  sat 
alone  with  Blanche,  in  earnest  conversation. 
The  time  had  come  for  him  to  tell  her  the  truth 
about  her  father.  After  directing  her  atten 
tion  to  the  period  of  her  earliest  recollection, 
he  said — 

"  Do  you  remember  anything  about  your 
father,  Blanche  ?" 

A  flush  passed  quickly  over  the  beautiful  face 
of  the  young  girl.  Heretofore,  every  allusion 
to  her  father,  which  she  had  ventured  to  make, 
had  been  met  by  reserve  ;  and  every  question 
relating  to  him  evaded. 

"  Not  much,"  she  replied.  "  I  was  young 
when  he  went  away.  Is  he  living,  or  is  he 
dead,  grandpa  ?  Oh  !  you  do  not  know  how 
mu^h  I  have  thought  of  him  lately." 

"  He  is  living,  my  child.  For  a  year  past 
I  have  corresponded  with  him  frequently." 

"  And  did  not  tell  me  !" 

"  No,  Blanche,  for  it  was  his  wish  that  1 
should  not  do  so." 

"  His  wish  !     Does  he  not  care  for  me?" 


CONCLUSION.  165 

Tears  were  visible  beneath  the  half  shut  eye- 
lido  of  the  nmiden. 

'•  He  loves  you  tenderly,  my  child,  and  most 
ardeiitly  desires  to  see  you." 

"  Then  why  does  he  stay  away  ?  Why  has  he 
been  to  ine  like  one  that  is  dead  for  so  many 
years  ?" 

"  You  have  asked  a  que§tion  that  must  bo 
answered  .before  you  can  meet.  Your  father, 
Blanche,  has  been  a  sufferer  for  many  long 
years — and  amid  all,  there  has  been  none  to 
speak  to,him  a  word  of  comfort  or  hope.  All 
turned  from  him." 

The  face  of  Blanche  became  very  pale,  and 
the  tears  .stole  out  and  fell  in  large  drops  over 
her  face.  She  tried  to  speak,  but  her  lips 
moved  inarticulately. 

"  But,  my  child,"  resumed  Mr.  Ackland, 
"  there  was  a  cause  why  his  best  friends  thus 
turned  from  him  and  left  him  to  suffer  alone. 
Your  father,  in  the  eager  pursuit  of  wealth, 
was  sorely  tempted  to  do  wrong,  and  fell  in  tha 
temptation." 

The  whole  frame  of  the  maiden  shook.  Mr 
Ackland,  when  he  remembered  the  death  of  her 
mother,  felt  alarmed  for  Blanche.  But  there 
was  no  holding  back  now.  The  truth,  softened 
as  much  as  he  dared  soften  it,  must  be  told 


166  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

"  It  is  the  wish  of  your  father,"  he  continued, 
'  that  you  should  know  all." 

"  Then  speak,  grandpa  !  Do  not  keep  me 
any  longer  in  this  dreadful  suspense,"  said 
Blanche,  her  bosom  panting,  and  her  voice 
almost  inaudible. 

"  Your  father,  some  ten  or  twelve  years  ago, 
was  one  of  our  most  active  merchants.  He 
had  made  money  fast,  but  not  fast  enough  to 
meet  his  wishes ;  and  he,  therefore,  entered 
upon  new  and  vast  schemes  of  profit  that  could 
not  be  sustained  by  the  capital  upon  which  his 
business  rested.  At  a  certain  point  in  his  af 
fairs,  he  had  need  of  more  money  than  it  was 
possible  to  raise  by  any  of  the  ordinary  means 
that  were  open  to  him.  Unless  this  money 
were  obtained,  ruin,  inevitable,  would  follow. 
In  this  crisis  of  his  affairs,  when  he  was  almost 
paralized  with  alarm,  but  one  mode  of  extrica 
tion  presented  itself,  and,  with  great  reluctance, 
he  adopted  that  mode ;  he  had  no  intention  of 
doing  wrong  to  any.  The  expedient  was  re 
sorted  to  as  a  temporary  one  ;  but  necessity 
compelled  him  to  continue  it.  From  a  single 
instance  of  departure  from  a  right  path,  he  was 
forced,  by  the  power  of  accumulating  circum 
stances,  far  away  into  error,  and,  at  last,  an 
accident  exposed  all  From  a  high  and  honor 


CONCLUSION.  167 

able  position  in  the  community,  he  fell  sud 
denly  overwhelmed  with  disgrace.  Nor  was 
this  all.  What  he  had  done,  though  done,  as 
he  solemnly  avers,  with  no  intention  of  wrong 
to  others,  but  with  the  hope  of  carrying  him 
safely  through  his  difficulties,  was  a  violation 
of  the  law,  and  justice  sought  its  own  vindica 
tion  For  ten  years,  Blanche,  was  your  un 
happy  father  deprived  of  liberty." 

At  this  announcement  the  daughter's  feel 
ings  gave  way,  and  for  many  minutes  she  wept 
and  sobbed  passionately.  Mr.  Ackland  did 
not  attempt  to  check  the  wild  burst  of  grief, 
for  he  deemed  it  better  that  it  should  expend 
itself. 

"  Where  is  my  father  now?"  at  length  asked 
the  young  girl,  firmly,  lifting  her  head  and 
showing  a  face  on  which  the  tears  no  longer  re 
mained. 

"  It  is  just  a  year,"  said  Mr.  Ackland, 
"  since  he  breathed  the  free  air.  A  lonely, 
heart-stricken  man,  he  wandered  the  streets  of 
his  native  city — a  stranger  to  all.  And  he 
often  passed  here,  and  paused  a  moment  to 
look  at  your  face  ;  and  lingered  under  our  win 
dows  at  night,  to  listen  to  your  voice." 

"Grandpa!"  exclaimed  Blanche,  her  face 
and  bo  ly  instantly  convulsed.  But  a  gush  of 
15 


16S  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

tears  came  to  her  relief;  and  long  and  passion 
ately  did  she  weep  again. 

"  He  could  not  think  of  smiting  your  inno 
cent,  happy  heart,"  continued  Mr.  Ackland, 
after  Blanche  had  grown  calm,  "  by  his  pre 
sence.  Hard  as  it  was  for  him  to  do  so,  he 
had  resolved  to  go  far  off,  and  bear  alone  the 
burden  his  own  act  had  laid  upon  his  shoulders, 
and  he  had  fixed  the  time  of  his  departure. 
But  he  could  not  tear  himself  away  without 
once  more  looking  upon  your  face.  Twenty 
times,  in  half  that  number  of  hours,  did  he 
pass  your  home ;  but  saw  you  not.  Again  at 
twilight  he  went  by,  and  still  the  closed  shut 
ters  mocked  his  eager  eyes.  But,  a  few  steps 
beyond,  and  he  met  you,  and  looked  fondly 
upon  your  face,  as  he  believed,  for  the  last 
time.  When  we  reached  our  own  door,  I  left 
you  and  went  back.  He  had  reason  to  believe 
that  I  had  not  forgiven  him  ;  and  I  must  own, 
that  I  found  it  hard  to  do  so,  for  his  act  cost 
me  greater  pain  than  I  had  ever  before  en 
dured.  But  the  hour  I  spent  with  him  that 
evening  removed  the  bitterness  from  my  heart, 
and  pity  took  the  place  of  anger.  I  supplied 
him  with  money  and  he  went  far  off  to  the 
West,  and  there,  under  an  assumed  name, 


CONCLUSION.  169 

commenced  business.  And  now,  he  waits  to 
take  you  to  his  lonely  heart,  if  you  will  go." 

"  Go  !  grandpa,"  said  the  agitated,  weeping 
giri — "  Let  me  go  this  hour  !" 

"But  you  will  go  among  strangers." 

"  My  father  will  be  there." 

"  You  will  have  to  take  another  name." 

"  If  my  father  bears  it,  that  is  enough.  Oh, 
let  me  go  to  him." 

And  the  eager  girl  stood  trembling  before 
the  old  man,  who  had  loved  her  so  long,  and 
with  a  tenderer  love  than  he  had  ever  borne 
for  one  of  his  own  children. 

At  this  instant,  the  door  of  the  room  opened 
quickly.  Blanche  turned.  One  glance  suf 
ficed.  Her  heart  was  not  deceived. 

"  My  father  !''  And  she  fell  forward  into 
the  arms  of  the  stranger  who  entered. 


Far  away  in  the  West  lives  a  man,  whose 
aspect  ranks  him  as  prematurely  old.  He  is 
sober  and  thoughtful.  None  seo  him  smile. 
He.  lives  alone  with  his  daughter,  a  beautiful 
young  creature,  beloved  and  admired  by  all 
who  are  so  favored  as  to  win  he*r  friendship 
People  wonder  who  they  are  ;  but  can  learn 


170  MAKING    HASTE    TO    BE    RICH. 

little  about  them.  All  questions  touching  their 
previous  history  are  met  with  silence,  or  evad 
ed  ;  and  those  who  evince  a  prurient  curiosity, 
are  treated  with  a  coldness  that  soon  makes 
them  strangers.  But,  by  all,  is  seen  the  de 
voted  love  of  the  daughter  for  her  parent,  and 
it  is  plain  that  she  is  as  tenderly  loved  by  him. 
The  man  is  remarkable  for  upright  dealing ; 
and  is,  for  this  cause,  as  well  as  from  his  ami 
able  deportment,  respected  by  every  one.  The 
daughter  is  highly  accomplished,  and  her  tem 
per  so  sweet,  that  all  feel  glad  when  they  can 
win  her  from  the  seclusion  of  her  home  to 
grace  their  social  circles.  Twice  a  year  she 
goes  on  to  the  East  to  spend  a  month  with 
some  relatives.  As  yet,  the  names  of  these  rela  • 
fives  are  not  known,  though  some  more  curious 
than  the  rest,  have  discovered  the  city  where 
they  live.  Doubtless,  the  same  curious  ones 
will  not  rest  until  the  truth  is  fully  known, 
and  the  whisper  gets  wind  that  the  real  name 
of  the  lovely  Blanche  is  Riddell  and  not  Hart- 
man.  But  she  will  never  know  that  the  sad 
secret  of  her  father's 'life  is  known  among  the 
people  with  whom  she  dwells. 


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